New Trend: Coffee Bars

[Sporkman]

The New Coffee Bars: Unplug, Drink, Go

...[Cafe Grumpy, NYC] is one of a growing number of coffee bars that have opened recently around the country, particularly in New York. Instead of idling at a chair, customers at these establishments stand or perch on a stool to down a cappuccino or an iced coffee at the counter. By doing away with the comfy seats, roomy tables and working outlets that many customers now seem to believe are included in the price of a macchiato, the new coffee bars challenge the archetypal American cafe.

Coffee-bar owners say that while space and rent can be considerations, they’re installing counters because they create a lively environment where it’s easy to have a quick, convivial exchange. “There’s clearly a philosophy behind the coffee bar,” said Christian Geckeler, who describes his ongoing odyssey to taste the country’s best coffee on Manseekingcoffee.com. “It puts the emphasis on the coffee and the barista.”...


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/25coffee.html

[Grenage]

I always have coffee at home; the high-street coffee shops round here only sell over-priced weak coffee, that comes in sizes 'too small', still too small', and 'bucket'.

I once made the mistake of asking what something was, and ordered it on a whim. The clerk neglected to mention that it was cold, full of some rancid syrup, and had 10 inches of cream on top. The only thing missing was a fecking flake.

No right calling it coffee, it's a cup on ponce.

[HappinessNow]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/25coffee.html
Typical New York style shop, nothing new here unless you are unfamiliar with New York. :p

[red_Marvin]

I've never understood the existense coffee bar/starbucks/extra grande machchiato with ...

I mean, there are only so many (one) ways (black, strong) to drink a good cup of coffee...

[oldsoundguy]

I've never understood the existense coffee bar/starbucks/extra grande machchiato with ...

I mean, there are only so many (one) ways (black, strong) to drink a good cup of coffee...

Wrong!!

I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US and by constant exposure have grown to the point where I can tell the difference in the types of coffee and how it is prepared! So much so, that I created my OWN home blend for my machine.

Coffee bars are nothing new here.

[Simian Man]

I'm extremely disappointed. I thought this "new trend" was going to be the spread of something like Canada's delicious "Coffee Crisp" to the United States. I shouldn't have tried it when I was there, now I just miss it :(.

How are bars where you can order coffee a new trend???

[Sporkman]

How are bars where you can order coffee a new trend???

They are sans tables & electrical outlets. Just a plain bar, perhaps with a few barstools. They want you in, maybe a little chatting with your fellow barmates, then out.

No more camping out with your laptops. No food.

More European-ish, except no alcohol.

[bunburya]

I've never understood the existense coffee bar/starbucks/extra grande machchiato with ...

I mean, there are only so many (one) ways (black, strong) to drink a good cup of coffee...
Not true at all. Even I can tell the difference between different coffee places. And I know relatively little about coffee; I'm sure there are some coffee connoisseurs out there who would kill you for that statement!

[Paqman]

Not really a new thing, it's common in places like Italy.

[Sporkman]

Not really a new thing, it's common in places like Italy.

Except there, you can order a Caffè corretto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caff%C3%A8_corretto)...

[Nick_Jinn]

They are sans tables & electrical outlets. Just a plain bar, perhaps with a few barstools. They want you in, maybe a little chatting with your fellow barmates, then out.

No more camping out with your laptops. No food.

More European-ish, except no alcohol.


Right. Its to clear you out faster.

When you buy coffee out, its not just for the caffeine boost, you are renting the ambiance and work space for socializing. Its great if you have a small messy apartment and want to meet somebody at a venue other than a restaurant or bar. I dont mind buying over priced coffee if I can use their tables and wifi.

I am not however going to pretend like coffee is alcohol or feel more manly for being cheated out of a comfortable chair and wifi.

[schreber]

It doesn't seem like much of a trend when you're more concerned about space in an overcrowded city like New York than you are in serving passable coffee that doesn't require one to take out a loan for a medium sized cup of joe'. (read: Starbucks)

[Frogs Hair]

Coffee bars are in decline where I live there were six in our city now there are three and the same is true for near by cities.

[pwnst*r]

Dutch Bros!

[oldsoundguy]

Dutch Bros!

Coffee on the FLY!!

But GOOD coffee on the fly! And no mortgage on the farm to pay for it.

Largest "park your butt, drink too much coffee and eat too much pastry and SURF" joint got closed down in this town. In a building paid for by the taxpayers (transit mall) that got CONDEMNED before it was 10 years old! (think: CROOKED BUILDING INSPECTORS now living in Aruba!)(Grand Jury yet to convene on it and NO WARRANTS ....... YET!!)

[Merk42]

It doesn't seem like much of a trend when you're more concerned about space in an overcrowded city like New York than you are in serving passable coffee that doesn't require one to take out a loan for a medium sized cup of joe'. (read: Starbucks)Why does using bar stools instead of chairs instantly mean the coffee is merely 'passable'?

[pwnst*r]

coffee on the fly!!

But good coffee on the fly! And no mortgage on the farm to pay for it.

Largest "park your butt, drink too much coffee and eat too much pastry and surf" joint got closed down in this town. In a building paid for by the taxpayers (transit mall) that got condemned before it was 10 years old! (think: Crooked building inspectors now living in aruba!)(grand jury yet to convene on it and no warrants ....... Yet!!)

;d

[srs713]

So where do drive up kiosks fit into this?
We have at least two Scooters here in Wichita KS of all places.

[Sporkman]

So where do drive up kiosks fit into this?
We have at least two Scooters here in Wichita KS of all places.

Same idea, except that's more suited to a suburban environment.

[pwnst*r]

New trend? I don't think so.

Although in Texas coffee bars aren't on every corner like it seems they are in the Northwest region, they are nothing "new".

Texans - real Texans - drink lots of coffee and know a good cup and where to get it. And it isn't frozen or iced and never comes with whipped cream on top. Most likely black and strong.

Myself - a nice custom blended French Roast in my French press at home is sufficient, shared with my favorite girl.

Real texans have no idea what a french press is.

[Sporkman]

Real texans have no idea what a french press is.

:lol:

They would call it a "Freedom press"...

[t0p]

Rather than coffee bars, I prefer coffee shops. You know, the places in Amsterdam where you can buy space cakes and smoke things that you're not allowed to smoke in most of the "free" world.

Well that's what the Dutch coffee shops used to be like when I went to the Netherlands in the 1990s. It's over 12 years since I've been there - are the coffee shops still the same? There are crazy anti-smoking rules nowadays in EU countries: do these rules concerning the smoking of tobacco in shops and bars also affect the smoking of other smokable products?

As for coffee bars: no thanks. I like to go somewhere I can use free wifi to access the internet on my netbook. Free power outlets are a big plus, as my netbook's battery is about as useful as a clockwork orange.

EDIT: Well whaddayaknow, I asked before googling, fool that I am.

From Amsterdam.info (http://www.amsterdam.info/coffe*****s/):



Other restrictions apply under Amsterdam's drug laws, such as the fact that it is not allowed to sell alcohol and cannabis products on the same premises. Since 2008 the introduction of the tobacco ban has made it illegal to smoke this dangerous substance in anyone's workplace. Pure cannabis joints may still be smoked as normal, as may bongs, pipes and joints made with the special 'herbal smoking mixtures' provided by some coffee shops. Many coffee shops also have a sealed 'smoking area' in order to allow customers to smoke joints containing tobacco.
So there ya go! Smoking dangerous substances like tobacco is prohibited, but smoking cannabis is okay. A rare example of common sense in this stupid, stupid world.

[pwnst*r]

Remind us where you're from again.

You don't need to know where I'm from, but I used to live in SA. They like black coffee, yes, but the cheap kind. Real Texans are not coffee connoisseurs.

[MooPi]

Real texans have no idea what a french press is.
I know they're called French press but that makes it sound prissy and weak. When in reality my press produces a much stronger brew that beats the taste and strength of any drip contraption.
If you really want to curl your toes with a strong brew, you should try the AeroPress one cup espresso. Made a cup for some friends and they complained it kept them up all night, even though I drink it before bed all the time. "I gots hair on me chest I do"

[pwnst*r]

I know they're called French press but that makes it sound prissy and weak.


Lol, "ok".

[Johnsie]

I'd rather go to a real bar and get an Irish coffee.

[kaldor]

I'm extremely disappointed. I thought this "new trend" was going to be the spread of something like Canada's delicious "Coffee Crisp" to the United States. I shouldn't have tried it when I was there, now I just miss it :(.

How are bars where you can order coffee a new trend???

Yanks don't have Coffee Crisp?!

[pwnst*r]

You're from San Angelo? that explains it all - never mind then.

You speak as though I was born in SA - and SA is San Antonio, Mr. 9 posts.