Final Draft Review
By Ethan Begnoche | Staff Writer
It is well known that books and coffee go great together, but Final Draft, a new downtown bookstore, manages to bring these things together in a special way. By making and serving specialty drinks right alongside people searching for their next read, Final Draft brings a whole new feeling of warmth and connection.
Although they recently opened this July, they have gathered a community of regulars; while I was there several people chatted with employees like they were good friends.
The feeling of a store is important, and Final Draft captures a specific mood well with their design and furniture. The hunter green walls and dark wood give the store a more earthy vibe, while the comfortable leather chairs and stools make the area feel more like a home library than a store.
The selection of books that are available is notable for a smaller store like this one. Even though there are not very many shelves, they keep an impressive mix of popular books along with books that are more unknown.
The books are organized by genre and many of them are in rounded bookshelf nooks that make great use of the space and have a more separate feel from the rest of the store. Of course, there is also a shelf of Pat Raglin-approved classics, containing special editions and covers that add to the impression that it is someone's shared personal collection.
Currently, Final Draft is decorated for fall, and with it there is a new fall menu containing spiced drinks and new food options. On the base menu there are standard coffees, lattes and flavors, available iced or hot, but there are also mocktails as an alternative to their actual bar. For the cost, the prices of the food and drink are average for a specialty coffee shop, about $6 for a medium latte.
I tried both the apple cinnamon scone and hot pumpkin pie latte from the fall menu; the apple flavor of the scone was enjoyable, but not as strong as I expected. The pumpkin pie latte tasted and smelled delicious, having a great fall flavor while not being overpowering.
The final drink I tried was a mocktail with a Shakespeare inspired name called “A Midsummer Nights Cream,” which has vanilla foam, tart cherry juice and lime flavors. It was definitely the most interesting thing I tried, but it was very distinctive and flavorful, with a taste similar to a cherry limeade that was both sweet and tart.
One aspect of Final Draft to take into consideration is the location. Because it is located in downtown Wichita in the Delano area, parking close to the store is limited, but there are plenty of other things to do in the area within a walkable distance that makes parking a short distance away worth it.
Whether you love to read or not, Final Draft is worth a visit for the community feel, drinks and setting. If you want to catch up with an old friend or even just take aesthetic pictures for Instagram, consider stopping by Final Draft.