In today's Wall Street Journal there was in interesting article on the history of the coffee house and its evolution since ancient times. My history does not have such longevity but I would suggest typifies many amongst my peers.
Coffee and I go way back to childhood. As a kid I hated to drink milk. I was not into the fake syrupy additives like chocolate syrup or coffee-tyme. Instead my Mom used to give me a glass of milk that was half milk, half Maxwell House. Since that was also my brother's first name I came to think this was common place. I gradually began to add more coffee and less milk as I aged through high school. Once I began college, my true love for coffee began. It became a way to stay up late at night and study for an exam. It became a way to take a quick study break at the Campus Center and an easy inexpensive way to meet up with friends.
As I moved through young adulthood and parenthood, the local coffee shop became an easy venue to meet up with friends and other new parents. It was a place to sit, talk and sip a warm drink when it was too cold to be outside. As the Coffee Connection and soon Starbucks emerged into my geographic area this quickly became part of my daily routine. Since that time there have been many new entries to the coffee shop market but I have consistently looked forward to each visit to the nearby Needham or Wellesley Starbucks.
To this day, Starbucks is still a place I visit frequently. I have expanded my geography to also now include the Starbucks at Mashpee Commons during my summer months on the Cape. Particularly in the warmer months it is a welcoming place to sit outside and schmooze with my dog. She too enjoys our little visits and gets very excited when I bring her water in a Starbucks plastic cup. I also admit I love the Starbucks App as when it is just the two of us I can preorder a coffee, run in, grab it and stake a table outside. I also use it often if I am in a rush to take a cup to another venue.
Of late I have been sitting at my local Starbucks to do work on my laptop. As a realtor it has become the perfect offsite office for me. Instead of sitting in an isolated cubicle it is a great place to meet with potential clients and colleagues to network. I have in fact spent hours scheduling back to back meetings. I will often have a few work related meetings and then a few social catch-ups back to back. An additional hidden benefit of this venue is that it allows me to be in the midst of conversation about the local area and trends. I like to always be aware of what is going on in my marketplace.
If you see me sitting by myself at Starbucks always feel free to pull up a chair and say hello. Likewise if it looks like I am in a meeting a quick hello is always welcome in my coffeehouse.
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