Coffee house Culture

A weird symphony of sounds: the hiss of an espresso machine steam wand, the light ticking of laptop keyboards, the murmur of voices, the latest pop song on the overhead speakers, the creak of hinges as doors opened and closed. You probably know where I’m talking about: a coffee shop, a gathering place for friends, students, and colleagues.

As I sat in the (almost) back corner booth at the local Dunkin’ Donuts, I could see everyone in the place. The Indian woman in the booth in front of mine studying a PowerPoint slide… the group of three girls studying with the laptops open and earbuds in… the group of three guys with their phones on the table talking about the latest Netflix series… the group in the windowed corner room… all the new customers walking in (most likely because the Starbucks lobby was closed)…

Quaint sit-in coffee shops have become the second office, home office, and study hall. People flock to places other than the norm… as often as there’s free Wi-Fi. They’ll hunker down for hours on end to work on a project in a public place. I’ll admit I once spent 5 hours at a little corner table in a cafe in Ireland with my friend Kayla. We had loads of photos to process, so we left the office and headed into town for a treat. Two coffees, a meal, and a rather rude comment from the non-Irish waiter later, we felt bad for how long we’d been there and went back to the office for a few more hours of work.

I doubt you’ll ever be “kicked out” of an American coffee house for being there too long. It dawned on me that coffee houses have a unique culture all of their own. No matter where you go, the atmosphere and feeling you get in a coffee house will be the same. You can always count on the culture inside the doors. Many people have their go-to coffee shops for various purposes: studying, meeting, hanging out with friends, a good cup of coffee. There is a whole culture that lives in those businesses. It’s a safe place. Whether you’re alone or with a group, you can sit down and not ‘worry’ if someone will interrupt you (unlike if you were at home or the office). You don’t need to keep your voice to a whisper (unlike if you were in a library). You can use the free internet as long as you like (providing you purchase a beverage at some point, please).

Out of curiosity, I asked a bunch of my friends why they go to a coffee shop for work, meetings, study, etc.

“A break in my routine!”

“I love the change of environment, and I feel more creative in cafes!”

“It’s an acceptable societal norm. It’s more formal [than going to a bar, for example].”

“I go for fun and catching up with friends.”

“You get out of the house away from distraction. It’s a source of caffeine for focus, and it’s professional. The coffee shop itself is a business, a perfect place to do business. It offers small private areas to have conversations in comfort with a steady supply of caffeine. It is a public and neutral place where neither party has an advantage, easy to have a good talk. In addition, there are coffee shops everywhere… very convenient. Also, for those people who have a fixed amount of data, there is nearly always free Wi-Fi.”

“Less distractions! and usually more peaceful.”

The culture surrounding coffee and coffee houses dates back to 16th-century Turkey. Coffeehouses in Western Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean were not only social hubs but also artistic and intellectual centers. … In the late 17th and 18th centuries, coffee houses in London became popular meeting places for artists, writers, and socialites, as well as centers for political and commercial activity. (Wikipedia)

Coffee houses attract clientele as diverse as their menu selection. From the CEO to the janitor, anyone and everyone knows the coffee house is a melting pot of people. Each has their own beverage of choice; each has their reason for being there. Some stop in just long enough to get their coffee; others sit for hours on end. No matter the duration of the stay, the title of being a coffee house invites all coffee lovers. For those who enjoy a good cup of coffee and want to get out of the house/office for a bit, they know that the local coffee house is a welcoming environment catered to their work-away needs.

What do you enjoy most about your favorite coffee house (coffee shop)?

What element of the coffee house culture attracts you the most?