As the days grow shorter and the thermometer drops, a warm pick-me-up of your favorite brew will hit the spot. In the first of a multi-part series, the Courier profiles area coffee and teahouses. So sit back, read and enjoy. 

Mickey C’s Bagels opened five years ago, and under the ownership of father Tom and son TJ Rizzo, the business has grown rapidly. Virginia Rizzo manages the two Longmont locations. The centralized bakery in Lafayette delivers bagels to all the outlet stores from Highlands Ranch to Longmont. Vice president TJ Rizzo says the current goal of Mickey C’s is to "distribute Mickey C’s bagels across the state."

Mickey C’s offers a full espresso bar with a range of typical coffee drinks such as mochas and lattés. They also offer bagel specialties such as TJ’s personal favorite, the white chocolate macadamia nut bagel. Their most popular item is a plain bagel with one of their homemade cream cheeses. 
If you are lucky, you may even meet a famous personality in Mickey C’s. Robin Williams stopped in the Boulder store a little over a year ago. TJ tells customers to expect "good service and friendly people" from any of the Mickey C’s stores.

Mickey C’s in Boulder is located at 2510 Arapahoe Ave. and is open Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sat. & Sun. 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Lafayette location is at 161 South Boulder Rd. The Longmont stores are at 1600 Hover St. and 645 Ken Pratt Blvd. The Lafayette and Longmont locations are open Mon.-Fri. from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sat. & Sun. 6:30 a.m. to 3p.m.
 

Janet Freytag has owned The Eye Opener in downtown Niwot since 1995. She is very proud that her store is a small town shop. "I like to keep it warm and friendly. We know most of our customers and what they drink. We get to know about their kids and what they are doing." Freytag loves interacting with people, both the employees and the customers. 

The Eye Opener serves Allegro coffee, which is roasted in Thornton, Colo. They have a full coffee menu including Gharidelli chocolate mochas and "The Eye Opener," a triple shot of espresso. They also have tea, Italian sodas, iced coffee drinks and soft drinks. 

The Eye Opener serves a variety of food such as soup, sandwiches, Beatnicks Bagels, sweet breads and Josh and John’s ice cream. Freytag said the lattés are the most popular drinks, but that the lunch menu is growing in popularity. Her favorite drink is the Organic Mexican blend coffee. 

Freytag’s latest project has been working with The Ladies Club of Niwot, seven female Niwot business owners, to promote shopping in Niwot instead of going to Boulder or Longmont. The club also hopes to attract commuters to stop in Niwot. The latest activities have included offering carriage rides through downtown and hosting the Lobster Fest.

The Eye Opener is located at 136 Second Ave. in downtown Niwot. Hours are Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sat. & Sun. 7a.m. to 5 p.m. The Eye Opener is open every day of the year except Christmas.
 

The Tea Train has been open since Mother’s Day 2000. 

Owner Paul Cattin conceived the idea as a business plan for his degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. According to Cattin, "There is a whole world of tea out there, and it’s a healthy alternative. In one sense, it’s a lifestyle." 

The Tea Train has over 100 varieties of loose teas, but has been expanding into hot and cold specialty drinks. The most popular drink is the Chai Chiller, while the most original is the Boba, a Taiwanese drink consisting of milk, tea, a flavor shot and giant tapioca balls that one can drink through the straw. 

Also, there will be some new winter specialties such as a Chocolate Mint drink. Cattin’s favorite drink is Maté, an Argentinean herb that stimulates without the negative effects of caffeine. Cattin hopes his ideas for expanding the menu will "encourage people who were not formerly tea drinkers to find a way to drink and enjoy tea." 

The staff is happy to help customers choose a drink from the large menu. However, be warned, new customers often get fun nicknames until the staff gets to know them.

The Tea Train also carries some baked goods and pastries as well as tea ware and accessories. They have a web business and do catalog mail orders.

The Tea Train has live Jazz every third Thursday of the month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The address is 2201 Ken Pratt Blvd. Hours are Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sun. 
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Their web page can be found at: http://www.teatrain.com