Coffee shop

As we gathered a group of friends for a post-thanksgiving "happen to be in town" get together, our first inclination for meeting place is the familiar green and white Starbucks coffee shop. Starbucks has become the only restaurant with an environment conducive to conversation and fellowship. The diverse wildlife in these little shops is quite entertaining: students pouring over textbooks, the table scattered papers; the book worms who can spend hours curled up on their sofa, and an occasional pair of men discussing life, wives, and football over a chess board. All three of my current brother-in-laws asked my father for my sister’s hand over a Starbucks latte.

Whether you have guessed it or not, this welcoming Starbucks atmosphere is no accident, but as a former barista, part of our training was to create this "third place environment" (the first two being home and work). Though this is a unique concept for a restaurant in the US, this may not be so unfamiliar in the European countries. The first concept of coffee shops originated in Italy. In Amsterdam, as I have heard, friends get together and have what they call, Hugah. Bundled up in the cold winter months, they would spend the evening with friends, teas, candles and good conversation. No amount of consuming entertainment or mindless movies could compare to just getting to know people, whether over a cup of coffee or in a warm living room.