Coffee Shops Open Late in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Although Tulsa, Oklahoma, has two decent-size universities (the University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University), many residents will be quick to inform you that the city really doesn't have a strong "college town" atmosphere. Most restaurants and other establishments close for the night at regular hours instead of staying open late, like those that could be found at a more "lively" university city. Because of this, university students often find it difficult to find non-alcoholic establishments that can serve as fun hang out spots, whether for working on homework or for just having a quality conversation time with friends. For anyone who has run into this problem in Tulsa, here are a list of several places with friendly faculty and service that stay open late into the evening-perfect options for group hangouts or homework excursions.

Shades of Brown, a coffee shop off of Peoria, is a favorite place in Tulsa for both TU and ORU students and other local Tulsans. The atmosphere is best described as "chill," mostly with acoustic style music playing, older vintage furniture, and a regularly changing exhibit of local artist's work. There are a few larger tables that work well for group work, a comfortable bar-style seating area, several couches/chairs to sit in, and several smaller tables for smaller groups of people or just individuals. Shades offers its customers free wireless internet, many convenient outlet locations (for charging laptops), and is open until 12:00am on weekdays.

Kafe Bona is also another coffee shop that is open until midnight on weekdays, and it offers somewhat of a different atmosphere than Shades of Brown. While Shades has dimmer lighting and older vintage furniture, Bona tends to feel much brighter and more airy, with uniform furniture throughout the shop. Although some would argue that Bona lacks the "cozy" feeling of other coffee shops, the brighter lighting certainly makes it an ideal location for working on homework or studying.

Finally, Dolce Vita, a newer coffee shop off of Memorial and 105th Street, is also open until midnight on weekdays. Because it is less well know to many college students, it tends to be much quieter than the other two options, but it still offers many of the same perks. There is free wireless internet access, many convenient outlet locations for charging a laptop, and plenty of sturdy tables and chairs to work on. The tables at Vita are all decently large, making them ideal for spreading out a large amount of study material. Dolce Vita also features exhibits of local artist's work and an open mic night on Saturday evenings. The lighting within this coffee shop is somewhat dimmer than Kafe Bona, but brighter than Shades of Brown. The music is also played at fairly quiet volumes, allowing students to concentrate on their work if needed. Finally, the owners of Dolce are extremely warm and friendly, allowing college students to feel comfortable spending hours at their shop after only purchasing a modestly priced beverage.