Prize Winner

P1000932

Originally uploaded by Billy Bob Flickr

The little PJ’s coffee shop on the Tulane University campus has won a few awards from the American Institute of Architects.

This nifty glass and steel, 900 square-foot building was retrofitted into the breezeway of Percival Hall. It is visible from Freret street as you drive through campus.

The coffee shop “transforms a heavy, oppressive void into a meaningful social space” and “the light materials make an elegant contrast to the imposing structure of the existing building.”(Times-Picayune)

PJs coffee shops are a New Orleans based, Starbucks-like, franchise chain. There are locations all around the South. PJs roasts their own beans and their cafes can be a pleasant place to catch your breath. Most have wi-fi. (see location listing).

The espresso comes out of super-autos that are usually staffed by cheerful button-pushers. The shops are ubiquitous and, if you are a visitor to the city, you will probably see a PJs before you see any other coffee place (except maybe SBUX).