The newly opened cafe offers unique drinks, a welcoming atmosphere and a fresh study space for students
By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org
Frenzy Coffee Co. recently held its soft opening at 305 1st Street, drawing in a large crowd of students and community members. Although the soft opening was originally planned to run from March 19 to 25, they concluded early to allow the business to focus on reorganization and quality control.
Frenzy officially celebrated its grand opening on March 30 with coffee beans and merchandise, including printed t-shirts, for purchase. They also held a promotional giveaway through their Instagram, where they awarded the first 200 guests a chance to win Smiskis, Sonny Angels, Carter mugs, stickers and Risograph prints or pins.
Alexis Paneda, a fourth-year design major, visited with her friends.
“I heard about the soft launch from one of my friends,” Paneda said. “We were at the farmers market, and he said there was a new coffee place that opened up near the school, so we decided to check it out.”
Paneda was immediately drawn to the café’s aesthetics and welcoming environment.
“My first impression was that it was a beautiful space,” Paneda said. “It has natural light, a nice aesthetic and interior and there’s even a little painted mural of Davis on one of the walls. The aesthetics and ambiance were inviting, and the staff were all really enthusiastic and helpful.”
Frenzy’s menu offers a wide variety of drinks, including creative flavor combinations that set it apart from other coffee shops in town. Paneda explained their drink choices and what they look forward to trying in the future.
“I tried their mango black tea and one of their specialty drinks, the ‘Matcha Pandan,’” Paneda said. “The mango black tea was refreshing. The iced Matcha Pandan was also great, the Pandan flavor is one I usually only see in Filipino desserts and I’m Filipino — it was a nice blend. I think next time I’d like to try their miso caramel latte.”
Eliel Gutierrez, a student in the environmental sciences and sustainability program at Cosumnes River College, shared excitement about the menu. He discovered the café through a flyer he saw while walking around downtown with his boyfriend.
“I tried the miso caramel latte when I was at the soft and grand openings, and it was pretty good,” Gutierrez said. “I’ve never tried miso in a latte before, but I think it’s a good mix. My boyfriend had mango black tea, which he thought was pretty refreshing.”
In the future, Gutierrez looks forward to trying other unique menu items, including the Matcha Pandan.
“I’ve never tried pandan before, so I think next time I will try out their pandan matcha,” Gutierrez said. “It sounds good from what I’ve heard about it.”
Similarly, Gutierrez was drawn to the coffee shop’s overall aesthetics and atmosphere, appreciating both its clean design and cozy ambiance. The combination of natural light, greenery and thoughtful layout made a strong impression on him.
“I honestly already really like the vibe of the shop,” Gutierrez said. “It’s very open and inviting with all the big windows pouring light in and all the plants in the shop. Loved how many wall plugs were out there, too.”
A Davis local, Jamie Dacuycuy, explained what drew her to the café.
“I heard about it through my friend who happens to work for Frenzy,” Dacuycuy said. “Plus, I followed them on social media and saw their promotion posts. I was excited to help support my friends at the soft opening and see what they had in store for the café. I was especially excited to try their miso caramel latte.”
Dacuycuy commented on her appreciation for the new store’s interior.
“I love the vibes,” Dacuycuy said. “The clean aesthetic of the interior design as well as how much care they put into making their drinks really helps bring the whole café alive. It’s really a relaxing place to chill and especially study at.”
Dacuycuy also enjoyed her drink orders from Frenzy and strongly recommends the miso caramel latte.
“I was pleasantly surprised with how good the miso caramel iced latte was, because I have never tried something like that before,” Dacuycuy said. “The bitterness of the espresso was there but the caramel added a subtle sweetness to it that helped balance it out. The matcha latte was also pretty good, and I loved that they used ceremonial matcha to make the drink. I was able to add vanilla syrup to it for extra sweetness, and it was really good.”
Ashlee Vuong, a second-year nutrition science major, discovered Frenzy Coffee through a friend who had interned with them over the summer. Intrigued by the drink selection and potential for a new study spot, she decided to visit during the soft opening.
“So far my impression of Frenzy is overall positive,” Vuong said.
She sampled several drinks, including the miso caramel latte, iced americano, vanilla cream top latte and mango black tea. While she enjoyed the selection, she explained that she hopes to see continued improvements.
“Their drinks are good for a soft opening, but I do hope they improve their consistency for drinks,” Vuong said. “Overall, I am excited to see what’s to come from Frenzy in the future. I hope to see more creative drinks and potentially seasonal items as well.”
The café was enjoyed by visitors and locals alike. Nancy Ly, a UC Los Angeles student who was visiting Davis, heard about Frenzy’s soft opening from friends and decided to stop by.
“I go to school in Los Angeles so I’m so used to a huge café scene, and I feel like the Sacramento and Davis area was missing something with that level of creativity and quality,” Ly said. “Frenzy seemed like it could fill in that gap.”
Ly remarked on the drink choices and menu items she got to try.
“I’ve tried the matcha latte with cream top and I think it’s great,” Ly said. “Smooth, a little nutty, though I did get almond milk and the cream top is perfectly sweetened. I would love a more deeper matcha flavor, but also a personal taste, I love having extra matcha.”
Ly also appreciated the café’s drink-making process and use of more natural ingredients. She looks forward to trying out various other drinks in the future.
“A plus for me was when I saw that they hand whisk the matcha and make their syrups and cream tops in house,” Ly said. “I’m not a fan of the more processed, pre-made and packaged taste of food and drinks — you can taste the difference. Otherwise, I’m excited to try other iterations of the matcha and maybe I’ll try the miso caramel if I desperately need coffee.”
With its innovative menu, inviting atmosphere and student-friendly design, Frenzy Coffee Co. has already made a strong impression on the Davis community. As the café continues to refine its offerings, it’s poised to become a go-to spot for coffee lovers and students looking for a cozy place to study and relax.
Written by: Alma Culverwell — city@theaggie.org
