“Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself.”
Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Well, not really as we pay for them somehow. Many coffee shops are setup to offer a discount after 10 or 12 purchases. Some even offer free drinks and food. I’ve never had the nerve to calculate how much money I spend just to have a $2.00 discount or free coffee. And, I probably won’t! 🙂
8 Comments
Cedric Canard
My sister owned a café a couple of years back and it cost her between $0.30 to $0.50 to make a cup of coffee which she then sold for the regular price of $3.50 to $4.00. This might sound like massive profit taking, and maybe in some places it is but in her case, she had to sell 2000 cups a day to break even due to high rent. Fortunately for her, she also sold food and while those profit margins were less, it’s what gave her enough of a profit to call it a living. Though her mornings were hardly an invitation to a simple life 🙂
Monte Stevens
Yes, you speak of the reality of our business world. I’m one will remain content to be a customer rather than an owner. And, by being a customer my life does stay simple. 🙂
Earl
I’ve sometimes thought it would be enjoyable owning a coffee shop but then as Cedric mentioned above of his sister’s experience it’s a lot of work and profits often only come with volume. Perhaps what really attracts me is the thought of just sitting in one and doing people watching. 🙂 Nice cup of Jo in the photo, Monte.
Monte Stevens
The coffee shop experience has become a time to people watch in my life. The coffeehouses I patronize are near campus so the people I tend to see are students and faculty. Now that’s some quality people watching. I’ve also had many opportunities to meet some pretty cool coffee nerds at these houses. I also have some cool images from these venues. 🙂
Tom Dills
I think you are getting a lot more for your $2 than a cup of coffee, Monte. Just looking at that photograph gives me a feeling of peace and calm. I know it isn’t always quiet there, but there is a lot more than just coffee in that cup. 🙂
Monte Stevens
Yes, there is a peace, a calm when there, on most occasions. There have been times I needed to get out of there. We have a locally owned coffeehouse, actually 3 stores, and all of them play their music too loud for me.
Joseph Smith
I’m reading lately of how coffee shops are having trouble with people (students?) buying their one $3.50 cup of coffee and spending hours taking (in essence renting) space in the shop and doing schoolwork. We went to our local spot early yesterday morning and found many of the 4-top tables taken up by one person doing computer work. Not all school age either. Nonetheless, I really value our local spot.
Monte Stevens
I see that also. I also find it at the library on campus. However, they have far more two tops so that’s not as prevalent.