Coffee Shops: Social or Social Networking Venues?

Here at the Brown and Jenkins Coffee Roasters we offer free wireless Internet access. A lot of locals who work from home, or who don't have a great connection at home, will come to sit, access the web and have a few cups of coffee while they work, chat or Facebook. Several tourists come in to access their emails while visiting, leaf peeping or skiing. But here's the question for the day:

How does Internet access impact the coffee shop experience?

I ask because I just read an article about a coffee shop owner out in California who is running a "Laptop free weekends" experiment in his café. The reason is that he says the dynamic of a coffee shop is changed if everyone in it is in his or her own digital world.

To some degree, I agree.

I remember going to a coffee shop with my Grandfather as a child. It was the cornerstone of a community. It was the place where neighbors, friends and strangers felt free to chat over a cup of coffee whenever it was open.

On the other hand, I still observe folks interacting over their laptops and gourmet coffee. So you tell me, is the coffee shop experience gone or just changed?

I have to say, my favorite part of own a coffee roastery is meeting all the folks who travel from down the road and across the nation, and even other countries. Introducing local business owners, watching moms chat over coffee and listening to retirees swap stories and opinions puts me in the pulse of the community and I love it!

Don't worry- I'm not planning to cut out Internet access. But I'd love to know what you would think if I did?

Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen