By JASON CAMPBELL  

209 Living

So you need a place to relax and do some work?

Tired of staring at the walls of the home office and have a big deadline approaching?

Fear not – there are a plenty of local places to go if you need some good strong coffee, a friendly face and some Wi-Fi connectivity so that your boss knows that you’re actually logged into the network.

Regardless of whether you’re browsing cat pictures or preparing a multi-million dollar presentation, here are some places that you’re going to want to check out to get rid of the office wall blues and give yourself a change of scenery.

*Bean and Leaf Café – The go-to choice for most people would be Starbucks because it’s the easiest to find, and that is definitely true in this case. Despite the fact that the Bean and Leaf has been serving up coffee and bistro cuisine to its customers for more than two decades in the Raley’s Shopping Center, the Seattle coffee giant came in and opened up a drive-thru right on the corner of where their customers approach. But while most people would think that would be the death-knell of a small business, the café – which is now owned by Heather Elkins, who started working at the site when it first opened, is doing quite well.

And the Bean and Leaf wasn’t voted the best coffee shop in Manteca for nothing. Elkins has overhauled the typical café menu to offer culinary treats that are mouth-watering, and her staff are friendly and welcoming.

So if you have some work to do, head in, grab a drink and find a place to sit down. At least you won’t have to worry about making a long trek to the find lunch. 1254 W. Lathrop Road.

*Starbucks – Yes, this is a chain and the biggest in the country. But they were one of the first chains to offer free, unlimited use WiFi to customers in the United States through a landmark partnership with AT&T, and they continue to be the place that most people look for when they need an access point and a place to park themselves for a few hours for either relaxation or work. The benefit with Starbucks, besides the fact that they’ve expanded their menu to offer hot food and salads to go with their pastries, sweets and drinks, is that you won’t have to look far to find one.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.