Recently one of my favorite coffee shops had to close down because of hail damage, luckily for the city of Wylie, Texas, a new coffee shop opened up just down the road from there. I've been going to Starbucks for years, but nothing can compare to a local coffee shop and here are a few reasons why.

1. The atmosphere

Local coffee shops tend to have cool decorations or a more comfortable feel. They can have different colored walls, comfortable chairs, televisions, and just all around a cool vibe that's easy to focus and relax in.

2. No pressure

I don't feel bad if I'm just sitting in a chair on Facebook looking at cat pictures because I don't feel pressured to give up my seat to someone needing to work. I also hate the feeling my conversation is annoying somebody else and local coffee shops tend to offer an environment that is more comfortable for conversation.

3 . Friendly staff

I don't know about you, but I love the feeling of walking in and talking to a nice barista. It's an even better feeling once you become a regular and they practically know your order when you walk in.

4. Variety of drinks

Usually when I walk into a local coffee shop they tend to have a house special or something they created on their own they are proud of. They have more options and different recipes for some of the most popular drinks.

5. T-shirts

I know this may not apply to all coffee shops, but I love when I can buy a T-shirt and can rep my favorite place. It allows me to talk up the shop and get other people hooked on their goodness.

6. Higher quality

Most local coffee shops I've been to have a standard for what they can serve in terms of quality. For example, Conversations in Wylie uses beans straight from the farm to the brewer.

So wherever you are, stop at a local coffee shop and try a little piece of their heritage. You can tell a lot by a town by their coffee shops.