How coffee shops helped my startup(joel.is) |
How coffee shops helped my startup(joel.is) |
Then again, most coffeeshops don't seem don't go under just because penniless startup founders. When you lower your prices and then put out a tip jar (after attracting the cheapskates) you are just asking to go bankrupt.
Look at small bookstores back in the late 90s: "And then one day Barnes and Nobles puts couches and cafes in the stores and practically begged people to read books in their store without buying them."
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000052.html
If people can rent out airbed space, why not rent out a booth for a day or on an hourly basis. You can even stop making coffee and just put in Red Bull vending machines.
Then there are manga cafes and LAN shops here in Asia, which people can use for their reading/studying/gaming needs.
It is often very bad coffee, usually pre-portioned and boxed by the gross. It tends to be purchased for cost and convenience rather than for flavor.
Some of us revolt form the corporate coffee overlords and form coffee clubs. We get wholesale deals from local roasters and buy in increments of 5# or more, and reap substantial discounts while enjoying better coffee.
If I built a business in your coffee shop, and you closed your space but remained in the trade, I'd give you first crack at my coffee needs. If I call it an obsession can I continue to deny that there might be an addiction?