If you want to feel at home — Leaves & Beans
Located in a renovated house in Peoria Heights, Leaves & Beans is the perfect place for a morning coffee and study session. The house is filled with plenty of different tables, chairs, and couches, so finding the perfect spot to set up is never a problem! They have a great selection of coffee and latte flavors to choose from, as well as sandwiches, salads, wraps, omelettes and pastries, so it’s a perfect place for a lunch-time study sesh too!
If you want a bright, trendy study space — Zion
Just a short drive from campus, Zion is another popular study location. Large windows let in tons of natural light, a bright white interior, and plenty of comfortable seating makes Zion a great place to focus on homework! They have outdoor picnic tables that would be great for studying as well! Zion always has a great, seasonally-changing menu, delicious baked goods (the cinnamon rolls are amazing), and is very well-known for their avocado toast. My go-to here is the iced vanilla latte– a classic, but Zion just makes it so well!
If you don’t mind a drive — Eli’s
My personal favorite, and only a quick drive to Washington, Ill, is Eli’s Coffee Shop. Eli’s is about a 15 minute drive from Bradley’s campus. Like Leaves & Beans, Eli’s is located in an old house transformed into a coffee shop and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, perfect for studying! I’ve never gotten something here that I didn’t absolutely love, but my personal favorite is “The Hammer” which is described on their menu as “bold flavors of Irish cream and white chocolate.” They also have the cutest seasonally-decorated cookies along with other pastries and a few deli items!
If you want a cozier study space — CxT
With two locations in the Peoria area, CxT coffee is never a far drive! They have plenty of cozy study spaces and outdoor seating as well! On top of that, they have a great selection of coffee and teas! (I highly recommend their Maple Nut Latte, a seasonal special!) My friends and I sat on the couch and comfy chairs, and it was a great place to catch up on lecture videos!
If you want a classic-coffee-shop feel — The Spot
When I think of coffee shops in the general sense, I think of a place like The Spot. The space is modern and aesthetic with accents of gold and greenery and is super comfortable and bright. They have a good coffee selection, and their donuts and scones are very popular. My recommendation is the Brown Sugar Cinnamon latte — it tastes just like a Pop-Tart! All-in-all, The Spot is a very good space to stay focused on homework. Additionally, if you prefer studying at home but need a coffee refill, they have a drive-through!
If you prefer tea or want to try something different — Dang! Banh mi & Poke
Okay, so I know this isn’t technically a coffee shop, but I just felt like I should include it because it makes the perfect place to study, and I am obsessed with their teas! Dang! does offer a small coffee selection as well, but their tea menu is a mile long, and I have yet to try something I didn’t like! Dang offers both milk and regular tea as well as the option to add tapioca or fruit jellies! My favorite is the taro milk tea with brown sugar tapioca!
If you want a classic, dependable spot — Starbucks
Finally, you can never go wrong with a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato-fueled homework session. The Campustown Starbucks, in particular, has tons of tables and seating both inside and out, so you are sure to find a good spot to focus on studying! Plus, it is only a quick walk from campus, so there’s hardly any time wasted traveling! Additionally, there are three locations on Bradley’s campus that serve a limited Starbucks menu: The P.O.D., Stacks, and Delwader’s Deli, so it’s perfect for an in-between-classes coffee break!