Over two years CoffeeSpots asked several hundred baristas one question: where do you drink coffee when you are not working. The answers rarely pointed at the places a search engine would rank first.
The pattern that emerged was not about equipment, and it was not about beans. Every café that came up repeatedly did a small number of unglamorous things well, and kept doing them on quiet Tuesdays as well as busy Saturdays.
They know what they are for
A café that is trying to be a workspace, a brunch destination, a roastery and a wine bar is usually good at none of them. The places baristas named had decided what they were, and the decision was visible within thirty seconds of walking in.
That clarity shows up in small choices. How many seats. Whether there is a power socket. Whether the music invites you to stay. None of it is expensive, and all of it is deliberate.
The best cafés we found were not trying to be the best café. They were trying to be reliable for the same forty people every morning.
Four things they had in common
- Someone on the floor who has been there more than a year.
- A short menu that has not changed much, executed the same way each time.
- A relationship with a roaster that both sides talk about openly.
- Prices that make sense to the neighbourhood, not to a guidebook.
None of these are hard to copy. That is the point. The businesses that improve are usually the ones that were told plainly what good looks like.1
If you run a café and want to know how yours reads to a barista who does not work there, write to us. That question is most of the work.