Working in a Starbucks, I am unfortunately a witness to the dying beauty that is cafe` culture. What is cafe` culture? Well, cafe` culture is a multitude of things. Firstly, cafe` as a word by itself in many European languages simply means "coffee". So partially, cafe` culture refers to the knowledge, interest, and discussion of all things coffee. Profiling and tasting, growing and the agricultural economics and history behind it, and the making and distributing of it. However, the coffee itself is only a small part of what I imagine when say "cafe culture."
Cafe culture also refers to the restaurant itself. The place where people go, sometimes to armor themselves with caffeine for the day ahead, and sometimes to sit, work, explore and discuss. It is a place of learning, a quiet place to read or debate, to surf the web and to ponder. It is a place of community, where the same people get to see each other continuously or in passing, where baristas share their knowledge and witty conversations with the customers. Cafe culture is a unique breed, it is it's own kind of store and restaurant, and with the digital age and wi-fi, surfing the web has become it's own piece in experiencing the cafe. A huge part of solidifying cafe culture involves place attachment theory, in which certain aspects of the cafe` that make it an adequate "third place", attach one to it emotionally. This shared attachment creates the community aspect of cafe culture.
However, there has been a wrench thrown into cafe culture in the modern age. While small, intimate cafes are still able to thrive in large cities; large-scale coffee chains have taken over the way that people experience cafe` culture. Dunkin' Donuts, Tim Hortons, and unfortunately, Starbucks, miss the mark. Starbucks gets the closest, and for a long time, Starbucks was a beacon of cafe culture in the mainstream. Sadly though, as mobile orders, drive-thrus, and automated sticker printers on paper cups take over Starbucks (particularly in rural areas like mine where I'm at the only Starbucks for miles around), I get paid to witness something beautiful dying on the daily.
However, there is hope. Cafe` culture is still well and alive in European countries, particularly in England, France, Spain, and Italy. Southern France and Spain regularly honor a late day "Siesta", a time in the middle of the day dedicated to relaxing and recouping to cope with the rest of the day ahead; the very concept of which aligns itself with Cafe` culture. Self-care, re-energizing, engaging the mind, and a way to be at peace. I hope and long for a day that these things re-emerge in the way that the fortune 500 coffee connoisseur chooses to conduct it's business. However, until then, I get to stand behind a counter and watch something beautiful wither. Please, feel free to tell me if there are places where you're experiencing the same, or hopefully the opposite effect in relation to the phenomenon of cafe` culture in the comments, or reach out to me via my Contact page above.
Cafe culture also refers to the restaurant itself. The place where people go, sometimes to armor themselves with caffeine for the day ahead, and sometimes to sit, work, explore and discuss. It is a place of learning, a quiet place to read or debate, to surf the web and to ponder. It is a place of community, where the same people get to see each other continuously or in passing, where baristas share their knowledge and witty conversations with the customers. Cafe culture is a unique breed, it is it's own kind of store and restaurant, and with the digital age and wi-fi, surfing the web has become it's own piece in experiencing the cafe. A huge part of solidifying cafe culture involves place attachment theory, in which certain aspects of the cafe` that make it an adequate "third place", attach one to it emotionally. This shared attachment creates the community aspect of cafe culture.
However, there has been a wrench thrown into cafe culture in the modern age. While small, intimate cafes are still able to thrive in large cities; large-scale coffee chains have taken over the way that people experience cafe` culture. Dunkin' Donuts, Tim Hortons, and unfortunately, Starbucks, miss the mark. Starbucks gets the closest, and for a long time, Starbucks was a beacon of cafe culture in the mainstream. Sadly though, as mobile orders, drive-thrus, and automated sticker printers on paper cups take over Starbucks (particularly in rural areas like mine where I'm at the only Starbucks for miles around), I get paid to witness something beautiful dying on the daily.
However, there is hope. Cafe` culture is still well and alive in European countries, particularly in England, France, Spain, and Italy. Southern France and Spain regularly honor a late day "Siesta", a time in the middle of the day dedicated to relaxing and recouping to cope with the rest of the day ahead; the very concept of which aligns itself with Cafe` culture. Self-care, re-energizing, engaging the mind, and a way to be at peace. I hope and long for a day that these things re-emerge in the way that the fortune 500 coffee connoisseur chooses to conduct it's business. However, until then, I get to stand behind a counter and watch something beautiful wither. Please, feel free to tell me if there are places where you're experiencing the same, or hopefully the opposite effect in relation to the phenomenon of cafe` culture in the comments, or reach out to me via my Contact page above.
Sources cited:
- Waxman, Lisa (2006, November 3).The Coffee Shop: Social and Physical Factors Influencing PlaceAttachment.Retrieved from http://bork.hampshire.edu/~groundswell/transfers/hermens/coffee%20shop.pdf