Why Coffee Shops? My 5 Reasons

People would go to coffee shops for various reasons.  May it be for a caffeine fix or to meet up with friends, there is always a reason to enter and stay into one.

The question remains, why do we go to coffee shops?

For me, here are my top 5 reasons:

Reason 1:  The Comfort

Coffee shops are everywhere.  Whenever I need a quick caffeine fix, then I simply go to one that is near as to where I am at that day.  For me comfort would spell as:
     -the type of chairs and tables that they have
     -a smoking area
     -availability
     -security
     -available power source
If I am to stay in a place, I have to make sure that I am seated well and using a table that is not wobbly.  That would mean that it is well kept and managed.  It needs to have a smoking area since I smoke.  Since, I normally bring a number of things with me on a near daily basis, I need to be sure that my area is secure and that it won't get swiped easily.  The power source availability is also a plus thing for I normally need it at this day and age of technology and handy gadgets.  When it comes to availability, that is one conditional subjective thing. I have to travel to one to be in one.

Because of the comfort that they offer, it is also a good place to chat and meet people in a relax venue.

My recommended place?  Bo's Coffee in Glorietta 5 and Robinson's Galleria, Mystic Cafe in Las Pinas and Starbucks Riverside in Festival Mall Alabang.  They all have power outlets, comfortable chairs and stable tables, a smoking area and I get to find a secure spot where I can work or simply enjoy my drink for the day.

Reason 2:  The Food and Drinks Available

The next reason as to why I go to one is because of the food and drinks that they offer.

I am a food lover!  If I like your food then you got me.  If I like your drinks, then I am a loyal costumer.  If I love both, then expect me to tell people about it and bring them in.  Being a blogger, I go around the metro to try things out.  Being a food lover, I will go around places to try you out.

Glorietta 5 Location

My basic rule:  I will try the basic offering and if you got it right, then I will expect your challenging offering to be good too.  If you get to impress me with a simple one, then there is no doubt that your specialty will be good.  Take for example a basic coffee drink, cafe latte.  It's coffee, cream and foam.  Nothing that complicated about it but definitely something that needs mastery; something that some shops were able to do right.

For that distinct coffee taste go to Bo's Coffee, Figaro and Qaldi (located in Muntinlupa City). No need for any added espresso.  For food, CBTL tops my list.  They have an eggs ben that I like.  It may not be the best but that hollandaise, egg and focaccia works for me.  Plus, their pasta is good too!

Reason 3:  A workplace that is away from work

For some people, being out of the four-walls of the office is a must to push their creative juices to the next level.  For some they just need a more relax space.  For me, it helps me do some of my stuffs and simply be productive.

That is why, you will see people hugging a table, doing some of their work and simply having a space of their own in some coffee shops.  It is also a relax place to do work discussion which is why some tend to do a pitch to possible clients in such places.  For me, it has that dynamic energy that helps me process some of the things that are running in my mind and see things in a different angle.  Some of my best ideas are processed inside a coffee shop over a cup of hot or a glass of cold coffee creation.  What best way to work for a smoker but in a place where one can smoke a cig, drink caffeine and play with ideas.

Besides the three mentioned places in reason #1, you could go to Seattle's Best and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Their BGC and Ayala Town Center location works well for me.
  
Reason 4:  A place to relax

We all need that place where we can unwind and simply shake off our daily worries.  For me, a coffee shop offers that.  It gives you a place where you can simply relax, enjoy good piped-in music and a drink all in one.  Some shops even has that magical ambiance of being detached from the world even if it is located in a busy location.  You tend to have that space where your worries cannot touch you for a moment and give you that breather that you need.

True some would say that you have your own bedroom for that but it is still different if you get to lay on your bed, free of thoughts and simply sleep.  A coffee shop offers you that refuge at times.

(web-lifted photo)

You can try going to Mystic Brew Cafe.  Located inside BF Resorts Village in Las Pinas, it is on an active street but it gives you that isolation that you may need at times.  Figaro also has this atmosphere.  Small but cozy. CBTL in Ortigas (Emerald Ave area), definitely holds the title of being there but away from all the noise, for it is between two streets and is part of a small park in Ortigas Business Center.

Reason 5:  The Service

The staff can spell your success or downfall in any business.  They create that personal branding that any business wants. Why is Starbucks so known to people?  Its not really the coffee or the food, its their staff!  They have people manning the store always with a smile and energy that is simply spells positivity.  Same thing can be said with Mystic Brew Cafe in Las Pinas and CBTL.  In CBTL, they always smile no matter what.  With Mystic Brew, the owners who are always present takes the time to greet you with your name (especially if its your 2nd visit already) and give you a handshake.  That is personalizing your service!

Starbucks Rob Galleria Veranda

In terms of service that I like the most, (now this is HARD!) I would say Starbucks and Mystic Brew has it.  The consistency and feeling of being family radiates from both stores. Some coffee shops do have it too but not in all locations.  This is a big and a small coffee shop that has what matters most to customers.
 
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Unfortunately, some people would go to coffee shops, especially if it is a known brand, simply to be seen.  Would order a small cup of coffee, worst would be sipping on a small cup of water and simply people watch and hug a table for quite a long time or talk loud if they are with company.  A nice past time but not so good identity creation.  Ok, not everybody can afford to go to a coffee shop on a daily basis but it doesn't mean you will go to great lengths to be in on and be branded as a free loader.  There is a saying that goes in the line of living within your means, right?

So those are my reasons.  A place to work, unwind and simply talk with people.  What is your reason?