Close your eyes. Imagine walking into a cool spot decorated with crafty, antique and rustic pieces of furniture. The colorful atmosphere promotes a sense of relaxation and hominess. The subtle aroma of coffee beans fill your nose, and the faint melody of music fills the room. At that very moment, you know that you are in for a real treat at Cool Beans Coffee Shop.
Cool Beans is the only coffee shop in Vivian located at 109 W Louisiana Ave. After two years of strategizing, developing and selecting the perfect space for the shop, Amanda Byrd, owner of the coffee shop, was able to bring her dream of revitalizing Vivian’s downtown area to fruition in 2017.
“I have always wanted a restaurant. We have plenty of those here, but there were no coffee shops,” said Byrd. “This has not been the easiest journey, but it was all worth the wait. For November, we are excited to introduce maple, mint chocolate, and gingerbread flavors to our menu. The community loves all of the fun monthly flavors, and you should see how this place lights up on Fridays.”
The shop is home to a few other popular holiday flavors such as the s’mores latte, frozen hot chocolate and my absolute favorite, the Cambonesian. The Cambonesian is nothing like any other coffee drink that I’ve tasted before. I was shocked to learn that it only contains two ingredients, sweetened condensed milk and a shot of espresso. It is the perfect blend of coffee, cream and sugar.
Cool Beans seamlessly creates its drinks with the use of organic coffee beans. They use local brands such as Louisiana Roasting Coffee and Mooringsport’s Plantation Gourmet Coffee to provide that special touch in each cup. Along with their specialty drinks, Cool Beans offers a lunch menu, pastries, pie slices, chips and soft drinks. The affordable lunch menu consists of sandwiches and various soups and chilis to warm you up for the holidays.
I had the pleasure of sampling the chicken salad sandwich on a toasted croissant. That toasted croissant will take any sandwich to the next level with its external crispy flakes, and internal buttery softness. The chicken salad consists of eggs, pecans, mayo and chunks of seasoned chicken all served with a pickle spear and your choice of chips. This coffee shop has mastered the art of creating tasty food and drinks with simple ingredients. I could go on and on about my experience there, but I want to sum it up by simply saying I had the coolest experience at Cool Beans.
There, you can have your favorite flavor of hot, frozen or iced coffee, grab a bite to eat and sneak in some relaxation during the hectic Christmas holiday. This family operated coffee shop has a friendly and helpful staff ready to assist you Monday through Saturday. For more information about Cool Beans Coffee Shop, call 318-936-9947 or visit www.facebook.com/coolbeansvivian.