I got lucky. The first place I visited checked all of the boxes-- the Rwanda Bean at 463 Stevens Avenue, Portland, ME. They offer cold and hot coffee, espressos and teas PLUS a variety of tasty looking pastries and bagels.

Right off the bat I was greeted with a friendly smile and a feeling that my patronage was sincerely appreciated. I ordered a large mocha latte with soy milk. The woman asked me if I wanted to drink it here or was it to go? I wanted to drink it here.

I looked around and found a table with an open seat and sat down to wait for my coffee. A few minutes later it was ready. My latte was served in a very large earthenware coffee cup. It was filled to the top with at least a half inch of frothy foam. It tasted every bit as good as it looked!

I took some time to look around. Most of the tables were chest high and had two to four chairs for each one. They also had seating in front of their two, large street-facing windows as well as two large padded chairs.

There are usually one or two people that use their laptops while drinking their coffee.

On more than one occasion I overheard people conducting interviews or conducting some sort of business. The University of New England is right down the street. Many students have come in to get their caffeine fix.

Are you out and about with your dog? No problem! You don’t have to go inside as they have a walk-up window that you can order from. They may even give your dog a bone if they haven’t run out. If the weather is nice they have a couple of chairs outside.

Kids are also welcome! There are a bunch of small toys and books to keep them occupied while the parents enjoy their drinks..

I’ve been here more than a dozen times and the atmosphere inside always feels welcoming. I always stay for a minimum of a half hour and often for an hour. 

I’ve visited the Rwanda Bean at least a dozen times since my first visit, only missing my weekly visit once as I was out of town.

I’m a regular customer and I look forward to every visit.