What Starbucks Gets Right –It’s Comfort, Not Coffee
Friday, May 30, 2008 9:00Having come of age in Santa Cruz, California, a little hippie haven on the coast, I’m a bit skeptical of large business chains like Starbucks that tend to set up shop on every other street corner, sometimes pushing smaller operations out of business. Yet, I have to admit that they know what they’re doing — the reason they’re successful isn’t just their business tactics but also the environment they create for their customers.
It’s not just the coffee, or even the local ambience — it’s also the chairs. Unlike many local coffee shops, most Starbucks shops offers customers their choice of seating, either small tables or large, cushy armchairs. Most Starbucks also have enough power outlets to allow laptop users to order coffee, plop down, and plug in.
As a freelance writer, I spend a good deal of time in coffee shops typing away on my computer. As a business user, what I value in a coffee shop is much different than what I value when I’m socializing with friends off-hours. In a local, friendly coffee shop where I’m reading a book or hanging out with friends, the ambience of the place is more important — give me unique, changing artwork on the walls, good lighting, a crowd of people chattering away, and friendly baristas.
Those things are still important when I’m working, but in a work environment, what I want most is a place for my laptop and a comfortable seat that I can stand to sit in for a few hours. Interestingly, one of my very favorite coffee shops (Gaylord’s on Piedmont Ave in Oakland) features all of the things I want in a coffee shop, except the cushy chairs and copious power outlets. It’s also right across the street from Starbucks — and some days, I choose Starbucks instead, even though their coffee and baristas aren’t nearly as fun.
Many Web sites that tell you how to use a computer properly ask you to sit in a stiff position at a carefully calibrated computer workstation. But ergonomics isn’t just about finding the right position — it’s also about comfort. If you’re sitting in a desk chair all day, there’s only one way to sit–upright, leaning back, with your arms forward. In a large, cushy armchair (like the one I’m in right now), I can cross my legs with the computer in my lap, or lean forward and plant my feet on the ground, or sit with my feet to the side. The human body wasn’t meant to stay still for 8 hours a day. So for the sake of my body and my sanity, what I need in a coffee shop is a comfortable work environment, not just a hip atmosphere. What I need in a computer workstation is versatility, not just an ergonomic certification.
Of course, it’s best when I can find a local coffee shop that understands my needs, too. Living close to Berkeley, California, I’m lucky to have a great variety of coffee shops right nearby. Today I’m sitting in a comfy chair at a local shop that has plugs for every seat, a quiet work-friendly environment, and unique artwork on the walls (Mudrackers, on Telegraph, in Berkeley). Some days I love my job.
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