Avant Garden Bookstore - Anoka

Updated review:I was a regular here for a whole decade and the place changed DRASTICALLY. Literally started coming here when I was 13 in middle school to watch the people doing open mic on Thursdays. I don 't think I 've bought a drink here since January... because I was disappointed that the prize for the monthly book challenge of last year was just a coupon exclusively for more books. I had thought it 'd be something cool, or at least something useful (like a mug, fancy notebook, cloth bag, Any other object of the sort or something wearable (like a shirt . I would have been happier with a coupon of that amount (it was $30 if it could have also been used on coffee, and I might 've used it for both. I ended up just giving it to someone else.I appreciate that there are now some straws for sale, even if that 's a limited supply. I stayed up the whole night cleaning my room and found my stamp card. Had things to do in the area and honestly, Dunkin has been great with the prices and wider range of options except that they apparently don 't know how to mark things out of stock. I 've gotten replacements I didn 't really like and been refused refunds three times in the past month after paying for something only to get there and be told they don 't actually have it. So I didn 't feel like taking my chances there this morning.Tried some little bite things with filling. Heard the total and had to ask what those cost to make sure it was correct because those weren 't labeled (it does still bother me that not everything that 's out is price labeled! and I thought it sounded high. Someone ordered my old usual right after me, but without the alternative milk. Later I heard someone do that and it 's $1.50 more now, not $1. Pretty sure no other coffee shops are charging more that $1 extra for that. I don 't remember the name of the person I saw last time I was here, I just know they gave me the wrong milk and then ignored me when I brought it back so I ended up just drinking it because I was out with someone and it would have been more embarrassing to come back with nothing. And it 's cool that this place supports other businesses, I guess; the way they 're doing it just means I 'll never get any of those things because I 'm not making another account that I spend money on in order to get anything because it 's all marked as Venmo. I 'm not getting a Venmo. I like stickers, I like some of the other things too, and it 's annoying that I can 't just buy the things at the counter.I 'm sad that the board is changing. I 'll be sadder if that one really cool table with the coins and stuff in it ever goes. This place has an entirely different personality to it now, and in recent years it 's felt to me like it 's less alive than it used to be. In 2019 I was trying to get my art in here and they could never agree on a time that worked for both of us, and then I tried again in 2021 and was told they were more exclusive now when I was previously told they would definitely take my stuff if we could just schedule a time to do the paperwork. Which absolutely could have been made digital, at least partially. I sometimes think this place has become too snobbish. I am certain they never actually wanted to do business with me, and I hate that I was led on back then. It was unfair. I thought more people around my age would be in favor of the no smoking rule out back but then I heard nothing from them but complaints about it. It 's been a ride. The bottom half of my stamp card is still unstamped. Objectively, it 's okay. Not perfect, but not average. I may update this if I think of anything else.

Recently expanded! Great coffee and inclusive book options. Love it.

Emily is absolutely fantastic up there! And the weekly kids reading craft time is so much fun. My daughter looks forward to it every week!

Cute little coffee shop vibe with fun niknacs and a large variety of coffee options.

Cute and friendly coffee shop! Prices are reasonable and coffee is yummy. We’ve liked everything we’ve tried here. They have some unique flavored drinks like Snickerdoodle and Banana Bread. They also have art and other things made by local artists for sale, as well as a bookstore upstairs with quite a large selection.