Siouxland Six: Top 6 Places to Treat Yourself After First Day of School Dropoff

It's back to school time! For most parents, that comes with a bittersweet blend of feelings, which for me includes

• missing your kids and how awesome and helpful and fun they were to have around all summer, and
• relief that you no longer are expected to participate in half hour long discussions about which Lego Ninjago character has the best elemental powers, and
• sleepiness, because getting your kids to school in time to hang up their bag and do their bell ringers before the bell actually ring requires waking at the crack of dawn

My personal favorite way to process these feelings is indulge in a combination of caffeinated beverage and baked goods. So without further ado, here are my top 6 suggestions(in random order) of where in Siouxland parents should go after school dropoff on the first day of school (and okay, any day really!) along with their location and hours for Thursday, August 23rd. Check with individual eateries for hours and locations for other days, although for most of these eateries the hours and locations are pretty consistent. 

Jitters

This classic Sioux City donut shop offers super delicious cake donuts, savory breakfast wraps, and breakfast drinks  including chai, espresso based drinks, Italian sodas, juice, and more. Jitters also has comfy couches that are perfect for little groups, board games customers can play, and tons of charm.

outdoor seating area at Jitters

My personal favorite at Jitters is maple frosting with peanuts. This Thursday, they'll be open from 7am to 2pm.

You can find out more about Jitters on their Facebook page.

Sunkist

Sunkist is Sioux City's oldest bakery, and their years of experience definitely show when it comes to flavor. They have a wide variety of donuts, pastries, cookies, cakes, and more, plus plenty of yummy drinks. My personal favorites at Sunkist are their donut holes, fritters, and jelly filled donuts. This Thursday, they're open from 5:30am to 5:30pm at their Morningside location, which has lots of in-store seating. They are also opening a new location on Hamilton Blvd that will have a drive through window and may have a slightly different menu than the original location, but they have not yet announced an opening date, so it will likely not be open yet on the first day of school this year. If that changes I will try to update this as soon as I hear!

You can find out more about Sunkist on their Facebook page

Stone Bru

If you love high quality, trendy breakfast drinks and foods, you'll definitely find something you can't resist at Stone Bru. This August they are featuring Honey Lavender Lattes with local honey from local company Wild Hill Honey, and part of the proceeds will help protect honey bees. They also have tons of options for other espresso based beverages, smoothies, teas, and more, and to eat, they have breakfast wraps, donuts, and bagels. Stone Bru on Gordon Drive in Morningside will be open from 6am-7pm this Thursday. You can find out more about Stone Bru on their Facebook page.

Scooters

If drive-through is more your style, swing by Scooter's Coffee for tons of hot and cold drinks, from lattes to smoothies, and breakfast foods like muffins, cinnamon rolls, breakfast wraps, bagel sandwiches, and more. This year is their 20th anniversary, so in celebration, they're featuring a birthday cake flavor in their cake pops and as a hot or iced latte or blender!  While Scooter's is now found in almost 200 locations all over the nation, they originally started in Bellevue, Nebraska and have 3 locations in Siouxland, one at Outer Drive & Floyd Blvd, one at Hamilton Blvd. & Wesley Parkway and one on Gordon Drive downtown. All 3 locations are open from 6am to 9pm this Thursday. You can find more info on their website.

Heartland Coffee+Nosh

One of the most beloved local food trucks, Heartland Coffee+Nosh, will be at Peters Park in Morningside on Thursday, August 23rd,  from 7am to 2pm. Their menu typically includes a fun variety of on-trend gourmet drinks like lavender lemonade, mango smoothies, and hot and cold espresso and chai tea lattes, plus delicious breakfast bowls, waffle bites, and more. You can find more info by visiting their website or Facebook page.

Caribou Coffee

This Minnesota based chain has tons of drink options, including tons of espresso based drinks as well as fruit smoothies, iced and hot coffee and tea, and more. Their snack menu is also full of delicious choices, like bagels, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and mini muffins. You can find out more about Caribou Coffee on their website. Caribou Coffee on Hamilton Blvd (between Hy-Vee and Shopko) will be open this Thursday from 5:30am-9pm

Have a great first day of school!❤