COFFEE SHOP - Research Project for Dr. Gaffney's Urban Social Geography at UNC

Question

How does the perception of a coffee shop alter between a store such as the Chapel hill Starbucks, a corporately owned giant, and Caffé Driade, an independently owned store?

Methodology

In order to better understand the answer to our question more thoroughly it might be helpful to understand how the group went about doing the research necessary and the process of discovery.

Where?

We visited both Starbucks and Caffé Driade on Franklin Street, assuming they were both quality representations of corporate and independently owned coffee shops.

What?

We searched to discover more about the distinct imagination and perception of the two stores.

Who?

We interviewed the managers, as well as, the customers within both stores.

Why?

Even beyond the perception or imagination of coffee shops, we wanted to discover more about the characteristics of different socio spaces within a city and their reflection, as well as, interaction within the culture.

When?

The project as a whole relates to culture today and to perceptions that have developed within recent years. The research of our project, however, was conducted specifically in the afternoon.

How?

In order to acquire information on the perception and imagination relevant to both coffee shops, we interviewed management, as well as, customers within the shops. We were sure to seek information which affects perception and can be linked to other key characteristics of a socio space such as signs, symbols, flows, economics, history, movement and access.

Findings

To analyze our research we looked once again at the question and broke it down into two elements, being the perception of Starbucks, as a corporately owned industry, followed by the perception of Caffé Driade, as an independently owned shop. After discovering the unique perceptions of both stores, it became easier to draw comparisons between the two.

Perception of Starbucks

When most people think of Starbucks, they think of coffee, or more specifically, they think of a favorite Starbucks original, such as, a “tall caramel frappuccino.” As a corporate giant, Starbucks sells a large variety of products and caters to a large range of people. It has grown as an icon for popular culture. Some go to Starbucks with friends to engage in social discourse, others go to study, but still most go for a quick caffeine fix. After interviewing both customers and management our group discovered that the majority of clientele stay within the store no longer than ten minutes. Consumers come in, order a drink they see as consistently satisfying, in a cup which is always disposable, and exit the same door they entered. In this perception, the characteristic of flow and movement becomes relevant. Even the prepackaged sandwiches and paper cups encourage customers to leave after their purchase.

The largest reason for visiting Starbucks seems to be its familiarity and convenience, which are results of being such a widely popular and distributed corporation. Employees within the store were quick to note how little advertisement is necessary to keep the store open. The sign of Starbucks alone draws people in because people already know what to expect when they walk through the door. They are familiar with the menu already, as well as the atmosphere. People see Starbucks as a reliable source for coffee. The Chapel Hill Starbucks is located so close to campus that students find it convenient. The fact that the stores are numerous in their number across the country makes convenience a quality of Starbucks in most regions.

As a corporation, Starbucks maintains a uniform atmosphere throughout the distribution of its stores, which is a key factor in general perception. Each store is decorated and furnished by the corporate employees rather than those who make the coffee in the location daily. Employees within each store are trained in customer relations and are asked to adhere to a specific dress code, which includes a hat and apron depicting the Starbucks logo. Even the music selection, coming through the speakers, as well as, in the merchandise rack are predetermined to promote consistency between stores.

Looking at the economics of the store, the footprints of corporate ownership reveal themselves. In effect, our perception of Starbucks changes in the knowledge that the store is meant to appeal to a hoard of consumers. The beans used to produce the coffee are machine picked and cultivated by the masses in large fields half way around the world. The price of coffee is driven down by the presence of mega-companies such as Starbucks within the market who appeal to the largest demographic of consumers. Evidence of the corporation’s mass clientele also surfaces in the fact that the music within the store is economized. Starbuck’s musical selection is now available for purchase on itunes. The music chosen at Starbucks attempts to hold a strong “artsy/indie” vibe without straying far from the tastes of popular culture.

Perception of Caffé Driade

When most people think of Caffé Driade, a variety of details come to mind. Some customers think of the consistently satisfying espresso that the café is famous for. Others think possibly of their favorite regularly ordered drink. Some think of the quality and production of the coffee in general. Still others think of the atmosphere of Caffé Driade, which plays such a huge part in its perception.

People come to Caffé Driade generally with the intention to stay in the store while drinking their coffee. It seems as though every aspect of the café encourages the perception that this is more than a place to get a satisfying cup; this is a place to socialize, to express yourself, to enjoy your atmosphere. Unless the customers specify otherwise, drinks are presented not in disposable to-go cups, but rather in ceramic mugs. In an interview, the barista was quick to point out that those customers who initially run in to pick up a cup of coffee on their way to work, soon find themselves habitually coming in with an hour to spare before work just so they can sit down and enjoy the coffee. Even the design of the building promotes the idea of staying to relax. As an independently owned store, the owner is able to utilize this design in a way that reflects his own imagination for a coffee shop. There are several different doors leading out from the main room to places to sit around the café. There is even a pathway leading from the back patio to another location down the hill in the woods. The environment of the café is very natural, for all the doors remain open; therefore the distinction between the inside and outside sitting areas blur. Not only is the perception of the store affected by its architecture, but by its emphasis on a sense of community. The barista stressed the importance of regular customers to the café’s social atmosphere. On specific weeknights, the café becomes a venue for live entertainment as local artists come to play music and patrons come to enjoy the night over a drink. Although the atmosphere on these nights is much livelier than on the average weekday, the concept and basic perception remains the same: customers come to sit and enjoy themselves.

A distinct aspect which affects Caff Driade’s perception is that, being independently owned, there are few regulations for employees to follow while running the store. The music is chosen by whoever is working at the time according to their personal tastes. Customer service is not a priority emphasized by management, so baristas simply act as they would naturally while interacting with customers. There is no dress code enforced upon employees either. The only point emphasized by management is that employees consistently produce a quality cup of coffee.

Only part of making that quality cup comes from the barista’s skill; the source of the ingredients must also be taken into account. As owners of a small business, which does not cater to half of the consumers as would a large corporation, but rather a smaller demographic, the owners of Caffé Driade specifically choose what beans they will allow to be used in the shop. All of the beans used by the café are handpicked and transported form various countries around the world. This use of resources promotes fair trade within the coffee industry and aids the economies in developing countries.

Conclusion

In discovering the common and differentiated aspects of perception between Starbucks, a corporately owned giant, and Caffé Driade, an independently operated store, we found that both are viewed as third places within a dynamic university town known as Chapel Hill. A third place is a neutral area of local community, as well as, of public interest where socio-spatial barriers are broken, regularity is a common component, and interaction is a defining theme. The two coffee shops differ, however, in their adherence to the definition of a third space, as well as, their degree of classification within a cultural context. People see Caffé Driade as a place to sit and be social, much more so, than Starbucks, where the tendency of most customers is to make a purchase and leave. Also, Caffé Driade is perceived as a space of bourgeois cultural capital, with its specialty drinks, support for local independent artists, and atmosphere of personal expression. All of the qualities which deem the café so unique are birthed from the feature that the store is independently owned and operated. The owner has the freedom to bequeath his own imagination of a café onto the location and lay upon the name Caffé Driade, exactly the perception that he wishes to grant his store. Starbucks, however, is perceived as an icon of popular culture. Any attempt, to appeal to a Bourgeois demographic, is inhibited by the fact that Starbucks is a large corporation who monopolizes the coffee industry and must cater to a broad demographic. This fact can not exist without affecting the perception of the store as a whole. Starbucks aligns more with the ramifications of being in the popular culture category in the scale of cultural capital because of the broad range of people that the store caters to. With Starbucks, symbols are recognizable and locations are convenient.

Perception and imagination is defined by the five senses in theory, but in reality it is so much more than that. How we perceive objects, places, people and situations as human beings is founded on our senses but guided by our previously held beliefs and personal experiences. After our group learned about Starbucks’s monopolization of the coffee industry, it will be hard for us, not to allow our perception of Starbucks to be tainted. Individually owned stores, such as Caffé Driade, aid the economic growth in developing countries by supplying jobs in poor communities. Large Corporations, however, hurt these communities by driving down the price of coffee with their mass production of beans.

I speak for our entire group in saying that this project has revolutionized our view, not only of the two coffee shops specified, but of coffee shops as a socio-spatial component of culture as a whole. We feel as though we have gained new insight into the complex relationships between business and society as well as economics and social justice as a result of measuring perception within these third places.