Written by Ashley Jones, Arts & Entertainment Editor 

The moment you step into Gud Coffee Company, you’re transported into a tranquil and visually pleasing environment. This cafe is the perfect place for students or faculty members looking for a morning refresher or a quick lunch off campus but not too far from campus.  

Located in Downtown Valdosta, the cafe rests on the edge of North Patterson Street and East Central Ave. Once walking through the doors, patrons are sure to notice the boisterous noise from Downtown traffic becoming a muted and grounded environment.  

Decorated in dark brown, green, and grey tones with large windows that make the cafe bright and airy, the owners designed the space to be both inviting and cozy.   

The Gud Coffee opened in 2020 to co-owners, Daniel Bayman and Issac Musgrove, who according to Bayman’s interview with the Valdosta Daily Times in 2020 “…felt we, Valdosta, didn’t have a good coffee scene, here it’s about quick coffee and convenience and not about service.”  

Their words still stand true for the cafe as from my visit the baristas were very courteous, attentive, and diligent. The cafe offers patrons a serene ambiance that serves as an exemplary location for studying or simply trying to complete work with a bite to eat. 

Gud Coffee serves tea black, green, and herbal, chai latte, hot chocolate, Hojicha with “organic ceremonial grade roasted matcha sourced straight from Japan,”.  

Signature lattes such as “Gud N’ Gold” a vanilla latte enriched with locally sourced honey, “Brown Butter” a caramel inspired latte with butter and brown sugar, or “Honey Lavender Latte.” 

 A latte sweetened with house made lavender syrup and local honey. They also offer sandwiches, a salad, fully loaded or creamy avocado hash browns. Bagels, honeyed yogurt parfait, a croissant with ham, Swiss, Dijon aioli, and everything bagel seasoning. 

For people that enjoy seasonal food, they currently are serving “apple chaider,” “pumpkin spice,” and “ginger peach green tea.” 

I ordered a 12-ounce vanilla bean latte and a bacon egg and cheese bagel that featured a toasted everything bagel with bacon, a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and black pepper aioli. 

During my visit, not only did I enjoy the ambiance of the cafe, but I also really enjoyed the aesthetically pleasing nature of the latte and bagel.  

The bagel was a classic bacon egg and cheese but with an unexpected black pepper aioli sauce that complimented the flavor of the everything bagel. I also really loved the distinct coffee flavor that was perfectly harmonious with the milk. 

I would personally rate my experience as a 9/10. 

The Gud Coffee Company is located at 133 North Patterson St. Their hours of operation are between 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.