Ever since I was old enough to realize there would never be a want ad in a newspaper that described a job I wanted, I've loved working in cafes. I never really thought much about it until a few days ago when a baffled friend of mine asked why I was so into it.
His assumption? That working in a cafe would be a distraction. A distraction? Dude, quite the opposite.
And so, at the risk of trotting out a few half-baked conclusions that my non-cafe-going critics will have a field day trashing, here goes:
20 REASONS WHY YOU LIKE TO WORK IN A CAFE
1. It doesn't feel like work.
2. It's a nice break from the office.
3. You don't have an office.
4. Easy access to caffeine.
5. If you have a home office, you appreciate the fact that -- in a cafe -- there are no interruptions from your wife/husband/kids/roommate who rarely think they are interrupting you when they stick their head in your office and begin their conversation with something like "I'm not interrupting you, am I?"
6. The act of going from your office to a cafe gets the creative juices flowing.
7. Muffins.
8. You get a whole bunch of unexpected inputs that change your perspective for the moment (i.e. snatches of conversation, songs on the radio, odd posters on the wall).
9. There are no distracting tasks to default to (i.e. cleaning your desk, filing, tossing paper clips over the cubicle wall).
10. The people in your office want you to talk in hushed tones and have a need for you to appear busier than you really are.
11. Being waited on by the cafe staff puts you in the mode of "things coming to you" without much effort.
12. You focus on your most creative projects.
13. It feels good being part of a community -- even if the community disbands after your third cappuccino.
14. Old patterns are interrupted. New patterns emerge.
15. You like the authenticity of your responses when the geek at the next table, peeking up from his Mac, asks what you're working on.
16. It's like having a focus group at your beck and call. You can ask anyone for their opinion and they'll give it, no strings attached.
17. If you work at home, it's just a matter of time before your spouse asks you to move a piece of furniture or clean the bathroom.
18. It brings out the artist and poet in you.
19. If you go back to the same cafe again and again, you develop trusting relationships with some of the other regulars -- sharing enthusiasm, feedback, and croissants.
20. If anything breaks, someone else has to fix it.
COMMENTARY: I would also add to the above the following since they can be all be "tied" to working at a Starbucks in a sort of weird way, don't you agree?
- Free WIFI.
- They have a restrooms.
- Place to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
- Great place for girl and guy watching.
- Great place to hide from the law.
- I also buy takeout and eat there.
- You can get as much free sugar, coffee creamer and napkins as you want.
- I know people who sleep at cafes.
Starbucks and Panera Bread are my favorite hangouts. You get a chance to meeting some very interesting people.
How many Starbucks are there in Manhattan? 171 to be exact. This geeky techie dude named Mark tries to visit each one of them in single day. Does he do it? You'll have to watch the video to find out.
Courtesy of an article dated September 17, 2011 appearing in The Heart of Innovation
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