Located near Santa Barbara City College, Hot Spots Espresso Company serves as a caffeine-equipped study spot for many a college student. Offering free wifi, the shop makes a variety of coffee and smoothie drinks to order—baristas carefully steam cappuccinos and brew coffee one cup at a time to maximize flavor. On the beach-adjacent patio, palms and blooming bougainvilleas sway in the sea breeze as strings of lights frame columns and archways. Between late April and October, the shop remains open around the clock, acting as a lighthouse for bleary-eyed sailors and a haven for late-night studying.