Coffee shops are one of the biggest things that people love to complain about. They are places that cater to caffeine snobs and pastry patrons alike. But the number one thing I hear is about stuff.
Wether to go the eclectic route or go for minimalism seems like a real split down the middle. The main thing I love about eclectic coffee shops, though, is the social aspect. There’s a cafe in Memphis, Tn called Java Cabana (Java for short). I’ve met some of the best friends there. Why? Because people talk loudly there and interact with each other. Two of them was because they were talking and I noticed a Bo Burnham sweater and just HAD to say something. And now we can’t stop annoying each other. Because that’s what friends do.
Java isn’t really a place to study or write. It’s a former Elvis chapel-turned-cafe. It cultivates thinking out loud and conversations with others. Sometimes there are crazies there. It’s a constant of human lives interacting with each other. This is a place of power and energy that attracts others towards it; all walks of life converging and greeting each other. Neil Gaimen describes this perfectly in his 2001 novel American Gods. There is one other coffee shop similar to this called Otherlands. It’s fantastic and should be checked out if you haven’t.
Then you have what some call the opposite: the minimalist coffee shop. One can summarize them quite easily: white and black/brown, wood and often-times metal, several plants surrounding shelves on the wall, tables and chairs, and the baristas. I occasionally hear older folks complain about these, how there’s no character. They are also the same complainers that never go to coffee shops in general and have no idea why they complain about this.
Minimalist coffee shops most definitely have character! You just have to pay attention. Or maybe you’re too busy writing your Great American Novel, or finishing a paper, or perhaps people watching the androgynous baristas look great and work well with each other (City & State in Memphis is another cool one to check out). Places like these are wonderful because it feels cleaner and less cluttered so you and I can get our current project finished finally. Much of the time there isn’t much to eat, but really the main focus is on the caffeine. These are the best places to try something new! This is where the best baristas work (personal bias), and give the best recommendations.
I have a difficult time bringing to mind a singular story at either of these types of places. And how could I? Meeting up with new friends at a cafe after our Kettle Bells class; meeting the local homeless characters at Java and learning how to deal with them; becoming one of the several regulars that drinks one cup of Joe and laughing at stories for hours on a Saturday. No matter where you go, no matter what city, you just don’t know what you’re going to get along with that cup of coffee. There are experiences that are simply priceless.
To the curmudgeons that love to complain about the price of coffee these days, I permanently ignore you. And I’ll group all coffee shops into one category now, minimalist and eclectic. The price of coffee might be high to some, but the rating is even higher. I give all coffee shops five stars.