1 September 2014

How to enrich your coffee shop experience

This one's gonna be a tough; there's no escaping that.  But I'll try my best.  A few weeks back, an old schoolmate posted on his Facebook this picture he'd taken earlier at his local coffee shop....

Photo courtesy of K.G. Lee... thanks, bro.

.... and asked his mates if this reflected sound business acumen on the part of the coffee shop owner or whether the bloke was a bloodsucker.  I run a coffee shop myself and as such, may not be the aptest (is there such a word?) person to comment on his post without some degree of partiality.  But I did and in doing so, even promised my good buddy that I'd blog about the matter.

Whenever I travel, I necessarily patronise a coffee shop at least once a day for my caffeine fix without which I'd carry a rather unpleasant persona.  On many of these ventures, I was left impressed by their customers' impeccable coffee shop etiquette (especially those in Western countries, I might add) which I can only describe as most understanding and considerate.  Is it their culture?, I sometimes wonder.  Or something more deep-rooted?  Their educational and social upbringing perhaps?  Whatever it is, kudos to them.... and more so to the shop owner.

UNDERSTANDING is the keyword here.  You see, if YOU like a coffee shop, then help keep its doors open for YOU.  Makes sense, right?  I have the benefit of first-hand experience as both observant customer as well as coffee shop owner.  Wearing both hats simultaneously, I'd like to now share with you some pointers on how your coffee shop experience can be further enriched.

  • Rise to the challenge as a customer.  If the coffee shop isn't operating profitably, it goes under - simple as that.  I mean, of course there are others around; but wasn't this the one you really liked?  Wasn't this the one you'd endeared yourself to most?  Be understanding.  While you’re working, studying or whatever-ing in a coffee shop, keep at least one purchase on your table.  And if you're intent on staying longish, keep your bill running by buying something every hour or so - and in the process, make yourself a  most welcome customer.  If "Water" isn't on the menu, do not ask for water and nothing else.  Most times, water is provided by the shop owner only on a complimentary basis to paying customers.  If you can't afford the place, the library beckons.  Remember, the owner's running a business; not a charity.

  • Leave your fridge at home.  This is basic etiquette; it's neither nice nor courteous to bring food or drinks to a place that sells food and drinks - not even if you have every intention of procuring a latte at some point.  Short and sweet.... and I don't mean your espresso.
  • The barista is flesh and blood; not a vending machine.  Get off the phone while you’re ordering.  You wouldn't want your coffee made wrong and neither does he.  Coffee beans are expensive and their cultivation involves a lot of hard manual labour.  It's evil to waste any.


  • KoЯn belongs in the car.  Noisy video games are strictly no-no here.  Switch your mobile to vibrate or take calls outside.  If that's not possible, then keep the conversation brief and quiet (your caller can hear you just as well if you spoke gently and softly; trust me).  If you're listening to music, don't try your best to drown out the ambient music at the coffee shop.  Instead, wear an earpiece or headphone.  If everyone else is either reading a magazine or having a quiet chat, chances are they don't wanna listen to "Freak On A Leash" at the same time.  Don't be that freak.
  • Making good coffee is serious business.  It calls for undivided attention from the barista.  So if you're suddenly attacked by an overwhelming, uncontrollable urge to talk, direct your impulses elsewhere.  Baristas are immensely friendly people.  But they're also staunchly proud of their coffee.  If they want to talk to you, believe me they will.  And when they do, chances are a most pleasant conversation will ensue.  But in the meantime, understand that it's a tough balancing act for them.  They can't be rude to their customers; neither can they take their eyes off the froth to talk to you about that quirky, new family that just moved into town.


  • Occupy one chair AND the smallest table available.  Do understand; each chair - more so a table - at a coffee shop is a cash cow to the shop owner.  A chair occupied by a customer's expensive Gucci handbag instead of another paying customer is opportunity cost to him.  That's business lost.  If the place is busy, place your bag on your lap or against the backrest behind you - not on a nearby chair.  That way other people can use the chair without interrupting you.  If yours happens to be a large table, offer to move as soon as a smaller one becomes available.  A class gesture that.  RESPECT!

  • The worldwide web is exactly that; it's for all to enjoy.  Both video streaming and gargantuan downloads eat up huge loads of bandwidth.  So be considerate when everyone is sharing the wifi and leave these tasks out of a coffee shop.  "Breaking Dawn" isn't that great a movie anyway.
No doubt many will employ the defence of being too engrossed in their work to even notice that they're doing something inconsiderate or rude.  But is this excuse plausible - never mind acceptable?  I think not because in truth these are basic social etiquette, and being understanding and considerate really ought to be ingrained in our demeanour in the first place - coffee shop or not.

I'm writing this post in the hope that you - my readers - will be able to see (and understand) things from both sides, i.e. as a customer as well as a coffee shop owner.  A good coffee shop is always a good place to relax, work or study in.  But PLEASE UNDERSTAND that it's also a business with others customers' demands to meet, suppliers to pay, rent to meet, expensive licences to renew and employees to take care of.  Help the coffee shop help you enrich your coffee shop experience.

So back to my good buddy, K.G.'s question; I think going to a coffee shop and not patronise is a wee bit too much.  I also think the 30-cent surcharge is a wee bit too little.


(Pictures courtesy of Google Images)


6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Some may find this post offensive, Sara. I'm glad you understand.

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  2. Oh so love your blogs Vince haha! Concise & written with enthusiasm! Keep them coming! x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, James. Thanks for dropping in and leaving a line. Appreciated.

    ReplyDelete