Coffeeshop as culinary or coffeeshop as community?
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Throughout my travels, I’ve encountered many different coffeeshops. Each one is unique due to it’s location, owners, and history. Among all these differences there seems to be a common thread of two varying philosophies. One of these groups says, “It’s all about the coffee!” another says, “It’s all about the community!”. This gets worked out in various ways, the coffee group highlights the uniqueness of the coffee, constantly geeks out, and seeks a small, passionate group of followers. The community coffeeshop hosts poetry readings, [often] serves up mediocre coffee, and offers a wide menu so that everyone can have something they want. My question is, why do we offer up these two separate paradigms? Is it possible to infuse the positive qualities of the prior with positive qualities the later? Where have you seen community and quality coffee collide?
No. 1 — August 22nd, 2009 at 7:53 pm
A few examples of community and excellent coffee: Cafe Myriade (which you have visited), Montreal, Cafe Grumpy in NYC, Blacksheep Coffee Cafe (South St. Paul, Minn), Retro Coffee and Mojo Coffee, Taichung, Taiwan. And of course there are others. All of these add another element: coffee education accessible to the consumer with cuppings, how-tos, barista jams, etc.
No. 2 — August 23rd, 2009 at 5:07 am
There’s a big gray area in between those two ends of the spectrum. Well-respected roaster/retailers like Zoka, Alterra and many others provide excellent coffees plus wide menus at their retail locations as well as serving as community centers in some capacity. Even Intelli had a fat menu until relatively recently.
Other (to be unnamed) “coffee” shops offer stale dishwater while not providing breadth, entertainment or a social center (and why are they still in business?). You can swing a cat around in Pittsburgh and hit one.
A recent David Schomer article noted that in order to really pull off the “geek” shop, location is paramount. You have to be in a spot convenient to where the foodies/sophisticated palates are (21st would be an excellent example), otherwise it’s simply going to be a futile, uphill battle. That factor alone will limit how many places can truly geek out and still be sustainable businesses.
Everyone else has to figure out a mix that will appeal to their local constituency. Hopefully that includes quality (and IMO, nobody does community + coffee like TdO).
To make it in the burbs, you’ve got to be part of the community, offer some breadth to appeal to the different demographics (families, elderly, geeks, commuters, high schoolers) as well as host numerous meetups for small group. Generally, the “city folk” aren’t going out to the burbs for a cup, so you’ve got to make your buck on the locals.
No reason cafe owners can’t offer both an inviting community aspect and quality drinks as long as coffee remains the focus (training, sourcing, equipment). Shops like that probably won’t be considered the pinnacles of their trade among the self-appointed cognescenti as they’ll always suggest there’s a compromise, but that often has as much to do with marketing perceptions than actual product.
No. 3 — August 27th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I think it has to do with the consumer and not the venue or the philosophy. It’s like a band. The followers love the music for intrinsic reasons and have a certain, passionate relationship with the workmanship and authenticity of the music, Sufjan Stevens for example. His music is not completely understood by a large majority, but those who do appreciate it and understand it wear that understanding as a badge of honor. Assume Sufjan Stevens is you high quality, “about the coffee” shop.
“About the community” is the Jimmy Buffett of bands. The music (sorry Buffett fans) is not very good. Technically speaking, there is no real depth to the music. Cheese Burger in Paradise might as well be a Mocha Frapachino with Chocolate Chips. However, the party, the mood, the atmosphere, and the experience create a memory that fans can relive by listening to his music.
What you seek is the Phish experience
I’m not a Phish fan per se, but here is my thought. Musically, they are outstanding musicians. And frankly, I don’t think most of the fans realize this, but that doesn’t mean they are not experiencing outstanding workmanship. Equally, many music geeks are experiencing a different side of music enjoyment that is sometimes lost in our geeky-ness and fussing over the superiority of a band, be it Phish, X, Y, or Z.
Be it “It’s all about the coffee,” or “it’s all about the community”, community is still there in both with a collective power to shun any non like member from its midst. This is the key issue. The issue with coffee drinkers on both sides is both wish to exist in a community in which they feel accepted, and understood as a consumer (consumer of community or consumer of quality).
Frankly, the Geek community is intimidating, be it music, beer, wine, or coffee and I don’t want to look like an idiot, so I, being outgoing, look for someone I trust, who won’t make fun of me for my lack of knowledge, and ask for them to teach me. Many people are terrified of asking this. Understandably so. It makes you look like you don’t know everything.
So I don’t have a solution, but mainly commentary. I know as a music snob, or beer snob, that I can alienate people, and that is something that we don’t want to do as a community and rests on the community. Providing a quality product and sharing it openly is a great place to start. Discussion, like your blog, Jake, makes the transition reflective and honest. So thanks.
Reed
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