As someone who worked as both a bartender and a barista throughout a lot of my adult life, I have seen a lot of friendships begin on the other side of the bar. While most people think about how the bar can create friendships and relationships, I have found the same thing is true of coffee shops.
The coffee shop that I happened to be a barista at was very community oriented, and I spent a lot of time creating friendships and watching others do the same from their seats with a cup of coffee.
Coffee shops are the perfect place to work remotely
While coffee shops used to just be a great place to get together in the morning, with the boom of remote work recently, they have become more than that. Many people see coffee shops as more of a home office, now.
They spend a lot of time looking at their screen, getting their work done there. It is also replacing the social interaction that many would have previously gotten at an office, though. Using a coffee shop for that social interaction has allowed many people, including myself, to make unexpected friends.
The coffee shop I worked at was a great example. We had many people who were just local regulars and had been for years. They came in every day, got their coffee, and would just sit and chat for hours. We also gained some new regulars who would come in to work on both personal and professional projects.
In doing that I got to watch both of these groups slowly meld into one from behind the bar, becoming part of the group myself. Having moved on from this coffee shop, and even state, these are friendships I still have and never would have had without them working remotely.
There are many opinions on people using coffee shops as their office. Many coffee shops don't like it because they feel there is not the same level of connection happening as there was in their shops before.
If you’re looking to frequent a coffee shop to work/read/study, what is the major factor for choosing said establishment.
— Iain Fraser (@Iain__Fraser) October 16, 2024
1. It’s quiet,
2. The ambience,
3. The coffee,
4. The cost,
5. Another reason.
For me, I think I tend to choose somewhere that’s quiet. pic.twitter.com/fvH2awQ5HC
While I saw some people hogging a table for hours, with headphones on, not saying a word to anyone else, I also saw a lot of people become friends that never would have had the opportunity to interact if it weren't for remote work.
So, while remote workers may not interact in the way that everyone wants them to, using coffee shops as an office is giving new friendships a chance!