The Social Transformation of Coffee Houses: The Emergence of Chain Establishments and the Private Nature of Usage

Abstract

Ray Oldenburg (1989) developed the concept of third places as environments that offer friendship and a sense of community. However, the idealized image of the coffee house may need revision. In recent decades coffee houses have transformed from small-scale businesses to corporate-owned franchises, and with the advent of personal electronic devices many people now use them to work rather than to socialize. Using unobtrusive observation data from three independently-owned and three chain-based coffee houses in the Boston area, this research examines the ways in which modern coffee houses live up to or defy Oldenburg's social expectations of a third place. Two key findings reveal that: 1) people increasingly use coffee houses as both a social sphere and a private zone to work, read, and use electronic devices; and 2) chain coffee houses, though often criticized for their sanitized lack of character, may better meet customers' new third place needs by providing a wider variety of amenities (e.g., types of seating, food, and media) and free services that are in high demand (e.g., Wi-Fi).

Coffeehouses And The Art Of Social Engagement: An Analysis Of Portland Coffeehouses

“…They found that regardless of ownership, the widespread adoption of laptops, mobile phones, and tablets meant that coffeehouses have become multifunctional spaces where people work as well as socialize. Chain‐coffeehouses provided better office amenities than their independent counterparts, with more power outlets, large working surfaces, and free unlimited Internet access, while independent coffeehouses were more likely to make customers feel “at home with the presence of locally made furniture, art and even photography” (Woldoff and others , 217).…”

Urban Multiculture and Everyday Encounters in Semi-Public, Franchised Cafe Spaces

“…As Laurier and Philo () and Woldorff et al . () also found, these are cafe spaces which people are using in multiple ways to work, escape, restore, eat, catch up, be alone, pass time. And these are part of daily routines, meaning customers become recognized and known by staff.…”

“…For example, in their work comparing independent and branded cafe spaces Woldoff et al . found that although the ‘independent coffee houses offered local flavour that Starbucks does not’ (: 217) the Starbuck's cafes offered higher levels of sociality and were places in which staff chatted with customers ‘on a first name basis, were familiar with their regular orders and knew significant personal information about them’ (2013: 209).…”

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“…Not all ritual interactions need to be this monumental. Entrainment also occurs in everyday situations (see Goffman 1967), such as the kind of non-interactions that take place between the patrons of a café (see Woldoff et al 2013) as they seemingly ignore each other and go about their business, reading the paper, drinking their coffee, or working on their laptops. Nevertheless, those present in the café still contribute to the general atmosphere through their minute social signals, creating emotional attachments and interpersonal meanings.…”