indie coffee podcast

This podcast discusses the decline of independently-owned coffee shops in comparison to the dominance of chain stores like Starbucks. While chain stores offer convenience and familiarity, independently-owned shops provide a more personal and unique experience. Customers appreciate the comfortable atmosphere and the opportunity to engage with friendly baristas. These shops also serve as a "third place," a public gathering spot that fosters community and interaction. However, the commercialization of public spaces has led to a retreat into privacy and a focus on profit. While chain stores like Starbucks may no longer embody the community spirit, local coffee shops still maintain the characteristics of a third place. College students often spend hours studying in these shops, and it is encouraged to support small coffee shops for their cozy environment and unique offerings. As a college student, do you ever find yourself exhausted and overwhelmed by the amount of homework and studying you have? Maybe you've found yourself needing a mid-day pick-me-up to keep you going. Or maybe you need a comfortable and inviting place to study. You've probably found yourself in one of the many coffee shops around Bellingham. Now, was that a Starbucks or was it one of the cozy mom-and-pop shops downtown? Like, make worse. Welcome back to Spill the Beans. I'm your host, Ellie, and today we're going to talk about the decline of popularity and revenue in independently-owned coffee shops. Okay, so there's this article posted on the website, The Commons, titled, The Struggle of Small Coffee Shops Against Starbucks. And it really highlights the reasons chain stores like Starbucks are dominating the coffee industry in 2023, while small, independently-owned coffee shops are dying off left and right. Everybody knows Starbucks. They're the leading coffee provider of, like, the whole entire world. I think every classroom I walk into either has somebody sipping out of a Starbucks tumbler or somebody drinking a dry latte out of one of their plastic cups. Which, I'm not going to lie to you guys, I love getting a grande iced chai with oat milk and a shot of espresso in the atrium of Starbucks. Starbucks and the chains like it are predictable. You know their menu and you know what you get will taste the same every time. They're convenient as hell. I mean, have you ever gone farther than driving ten minutes without seeing their giant green mermaid logo appearing in the sky? I didn't think so. They're in big cities, they're along freeways, and they have a global presence. Getting Starbucks has become sort of an affordable luxury. We're willing to pay their higher prices for the status that comes along with people seeing you drink out of their plastic cups. Independently-owned coffee shops, on the other hand, provide a more personal experience. The baristas are very personable and will make chit-chat with you about how your day is going. This leads to them having a smaller but loyal clientele. The owners work hard to make it a unique, comfortable environment to spend time in, which we'll talk about later on in this podcast. Lots of coffee shops here in Bellingham have lines their walls with local art. They have a variety of unique drinks that you won't find at Starbucks. Like, the other day at Make Wars, I had a lavender iced latte with oat milk and it was fantastic. Side note, if you haven't hopped on the oat milk train, do it. Stop putting it off and get it in the next drink you try. Stop putting it off and get it in the next drink you try. Makes every drink insanely better. Now, enough of me talking. Let's hear what the people have to say about coffee. How would you describe the difference in atmosphere between being in an independently-owned coffee shop versus a chain? Um, I would say that independently-owned coffee shops are a little more comfortable and homey, and, like, a chain just feels, like, not as comfortable. I wouldn't probably sit down and hang out in a chain coffee shop. Um, being in independently-owned coffee shops, I feel more comforted, in a sense. I think they put more time in making the space, like, feel comfortable and not overwhelming. Um, but with a chain company, I think that, um, they don't care as much and, yeah. Which do you prefer to spend time in? Um, an independent coffee shop, because of the reason I said before. Independently-owned companies, because I feel more relaxed in there, and it's just, the spaces are really cute because they put so much time into making them nice. Nice. How often do you buy coffee from an independently-owned coffee shop versus a chain, and why? I definitely buy more from a chain because they're more readily available. Like, we have Starbucks on campus and stuff, and, um, at home I frequent the Dutch Brothers. Um, but I think that's something I want to be better at. Um, I usually do a chain because it's easier for me, and I know exactly what I want, and I know what it tastes like. But a goal for me is to be more open and buy from more independently-owned companies. I found an interesting article by the Perfect Daily Grind. The third place, what is it and how does it relate to coffee shops that can back up why my friends and fellow students prefer spending time at these smaller shops? The third place, if you haven't heard of it, has been defined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg as an informal public gathering place that serves the community. Okay, so if you haven't heard about the Perfect Daily Grind, Okay, so if you haven't heard about, like, the third place, you might be a little confused. Um, the first place is home, and it's private, and the second place is work, and it offers a structured social experience. And the third place is a more relaxed public environment where people can meet and interact in a range of different ways. The most prominent example of a third place is the coffee shop, a friendly, informal meeting place to catch up with friends and even meet new people. Coffee shops actually started acting as a third place in 17th century Europe, where they held an opportunity to mix without the alcohol that came along with going to places like taverns, so they were seen as more serious meeting places. Early coffee houses across England held, like, a sense of equality, which was against everything the country stood for at the time. You could sit down with people of all different social classes and nobody would really matter to them. They were actually referred to as penny universities because you picked up on information while you were enjoying your coffee for the price of a penny. And then through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the pavement cafes of Paris and Vienna played host to a steady stream of artists, writers, and musicians. Then in 1989, urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg, I mentioned earlier, he published his landmark book, The Great Good Place, which gives us eight key characteristics of a third place. The first one being neutral ground. Then there's a leveling place. There's no focus on, like, the individual status. Then it's a home away from home. And conversation is their main activity. There's a playful mood and a low profile. And it's very accessible. And it has regular patrons. According to him, public spaces are changing and becoming more commercial and consumerist, resulting in an ever-increasing retreat into privacy. For a coffee shop to be a third place, it would mean somebody is getting coffee and staying for hours over that single drink. However, this doesn't work for businesses and leads to a lack of profit. They want you to buy as much coffee as possible. Which, Starbucks may have been a third place when they were founded as a single coffee shop in 1980s Seattle. But since, it has expanded to more than 32,000 locations across the world. And arguably, no longer embodies the place community spirit in the same way. The local coffee shops, however, do still embody the characteristics of a third place. College students like me will regularly find themselves in a coffee shop for hours, studying the same cup of coffee. Sometimes they'll splurge and get two. I hope the next time you're looking for a jolt of energy, or a nice cozy study spot, or maybe even a place to bring your friends to hang out, that you look to one of the small coffee shops around town. Personally, my favorites right now are Makeworth and Locust for iced chai. Thank you for listening, and tune in next week where I'll talk about the importance of owning indoor plants. Spoiler alert, it even helps your health.