And the bracket winner is… Andrew's Coffee, voted best coffee shop in Lakeland by our readers and social media followers in our LALtoday coffee shop bracket.

Congratulations to the winner of the LALtoday coffee bracket, Andrew's Coffee. | Graphic by 6AM City, photo by @thelaltoday.

While this concept by owner Andrew Nesi may no longer be named "happyfastdelicious," it still remains the core of how the shop conducts its business. Fans told us they voted for Andrew's Coffee because they can't get enough of the endlessly customizable + tasty concoctions whipped up at incredible speeds by the sincerely friendly staff.

Need some inspiration for your next order? City Editor Amelia is holding her drink of choice, the classic iced caramel macchiato, in the graphic above while Connor can't stop raving about the iced truffle mocha latte — with a gummy worm on the side, of course.

We want to extend a major “thank you” to all of you for participating in our bracket challenge the past few weeks. We’ve had a blast seeing how the votes shook out, and we hope you did too.

Looking for more coffee shops around town? Check out our guide.

Round 3

Who will be crowned the champion? | Graphic by 6AM City

Welcome back to our LALtoday coffee shop bracket, where we’re asking you to determine the best coffee shop in Lakeland.

After 1,100+ votes rolled in during our second round, we’re down to the top two “teams”:

Andrew's Coffee | This coffee shop is one of Lakeland's newest. Originally named "happyfastdelicious," it underwent a rebrand this year. Customers love its customizable coffees + energy drinks and drive-thru lane.
Black & Brew Coffee House and Bistro | This longstanding cafe with three locations around town is known as "your anytime place." Customers love its full food, drink, and coffee menu available throughout the day.

Ready to decide who wins in our bracket? Cast your vote.

Round 2

*Choose your favorite spot to grab a good cup of joe. | Graphic by 6AM City*

After our initial round of votes, we’re down to four “teams” left:

Pressed Books & Coffee and Black & Brew Coffee House and Bistro | Located in the historic Studebaker building (213 E. Bay St.), Pressed has made a name for itself as more than just a bookstore through its unique coffee and tea creations. Black & Brew boasts three distinct locations around Swan City and is well known for its seasonal beverage and food menus.
Concord Coffee and Andrew's Coffee | With beans roasted locally here in Lakeland, Concord Coffee's Dixieland cafe (1037 S. Florida Ave., Ste. 135) provides a great sit-down spot. Andrew's Coffee just up the road (3601 S. Florida Ave.) is ideal for when you need a quick + convenient drive-thru caffeine fix, but don't forget about its new patio.

Ready to decide who moves on to the final two in our bracket? Cast your vote.

Round 1

Choose your favorite place for a cup of coffee in Lakeland. | Graphic by 6AM City

With the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments just around the corner, we’re joining the fun of bracket competitions with a faceoff of our own with our LALtoday coffee shop bracket.

Last year, you helped us name the best pizza parlor: Palace Pizza. This year, we asked you to share your favorite coffee shop in Lakeland. Now — thanks to you and the help of a random generator — we have the official lineupfor our bracket.

Who’s in the running

Going head-to-head in the first round are:

Concord Coffee and Vegetation Cafe & Kitchen | It's a battle between Concord's freshly roasted beans and Vegetation's plant-based drinks.
Kitty Cat Lounge and Andrew's Coffee | Will you choose a cafe with adoptable cats or a quick + convenient drive-thru spot?
Pressed Books & Coffee and Mitchell's Coffee House | This combination bookstore and coffee shop and Lakeland's oldest coffee shop will go cup for cup.
Hillcrest Coffee and Black & Brew Coffee House and Bistro | Hillcrest's cozy space goes up against Black & Brew's unique locations around town.

How it works

Beginning today, we will host several voting rounds within our newsletters and social channels to determine Lakeland's best coffee shop. Who moves on is up to you. Vote for your favorites, and the cafe with more votes moves on. Simple as that. We’ll go until we have a champion, which will be announced in our Tuesday, March 26 newsletter. You will be able to voteonce per round.

How to participate

Vote for the coffee shop you’d like to see advance to round two using this poll. You can vote for all four spots or as little as one. Once we count all the votes, we’ll share an updated bracket + new poll in an upcoming newsletter.

Ready to cheer your “team” to victory? Vote now.

Nominations

Using the nomination form, submit the local spot that has your favorite cup of joe, and we’ll use your nominations to create a bracket and battle it out in our newsletter and on socials.

Need help brainstorming? Check out our coffee shops guide to get started.