Coffee in the morning has become an expected smell to start any college student’s day and WSU has chosen the spot for their cup: the Daily Grind.

Whether from one of their three drive-thru locations or at the local café in Pullman, the Daily Grind was voted by the Cougars to be the best coffee in town.

This coffeehouse receives a unique blend created specifically for them from Cravens, a coffeemaker based out of Spokane. There are seasonal blends, the Daily Grind blend and even a Washington State Cougar blend that is sold only at the Daily Grind.

In addition, from the president of Cravens to the owner of the Daily Grind, Tami Dykes, they stress the correct way to make the best cup of coffee.

“Whenever you are trained for coffee here … (Tami) is very specific on how to do everything like every specific step from grinding it and how you get the grind and how you sweep it off and how you put it under,” said Kelsey Rogers, a WSU freshman and Daily Grind staff member. “She is all about things being the same so no matter what, like a stand or here, it is the same exact order and you are getting the same exact coffee.”

In order to keep up this consistency, all of the baked goods for each of their locations, the one by Dissmore’s IGA, another on South Grand Ave and the other one in Colfax, are made in the kitchen at the main café on Main Street.

Nearly every food item served in the coffeehouse is made to order right there in the kitchen, promoting the freshness of the meal. Occasionally this may add to the wait time because it is a busy spot.

This active atmosphere has also promoted a vast number of applicants to work where they shop and study.

“I think that it helps that we are so busy with customers,” said Taylor Hentges, a full time employee of the Daily Grind. “They come in, they think it’s a cool environment and for the most part, the coworkers are also really cool. I really like them. I feel like when they walk in, they really like the environment so that helps and then coffee is fun.”

The ambiance of the Daily Grind differs from the other coffee shops in town with its low lights, double entrance and large space for seating. If people are meeting up to chat, there is the front open space to talk. The closed conference room is a prime location if a person would rather quietly study. If someone wants to enjoy a couple scoops of Daily Grind ice cream on a sunny day they can choose between two outdoor seating areas.

With this extra space, fresh food and the best coffee, it is no wonder that the Daily Grind was also voted the best overall coffee shop by the WSU students.

Other members of the Pullman community show their love for the Daily Grind by frequenting its doors for their coffee as well.

“Oh yeah, I love regulars,” Brandon Roth, a manager for the café, said. “They range from all ages and races, genders … You know, I got Thomas, who’s this 50-year-old dude who runs his own little massage therapy shop, comes in, gets his 12-ounce Americano with no sleeve. Griff, he played college baseball for a little bit and he always gets a quad shot Americano, but today, he got a quad shot Cold Brew Americano. It’s just cool knowing faces and getting to know people because I work at a coffee shop, knowing them by their drink and also getting to know them as a person outside of that; it’s pretty neat. That’s one of my favorite things about the job is just being social.”

Open every day from 6:30 a.m. to eleven p.m., the Daily Grind is a short walk from the Cougar campus to meet up with friends and grab the best brew.