The United States may be in the midst of a Great Recession, a slow recovery, or the beginning of a double dip. However, it seems that every time I drive by Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, they are filled with people. What is attracting people? Is it the premium-tasting coffee? Is it the warm doughnuts, beignets, & other treats? Is it the free wi-fi? The comfortable atmosphere? The friendly service? Having a well-lit place to read the newspaper (paper or e-reader format) & to spend 30 minutes & relax for under $10? Being able to get comfort in the food? It is probably some combination of all of these things.
In the Nineties, you had a couple of fascinating cultural phenomena. The rise of premium coffee stores like Starbucks & Peet's had every day consumers realizing that coffee was not some black sludge, but something very enjoyable. You also had the hit tv sitcom Friends showing millions of Americans every week that a comfortable coffee/doughnut/bakery place was a great place for single people to meet up, swap tales, & hang around. Nowadays, the rise of social networks like Facebook have encouraged people to connect online with hundreds of social acquaintances & friends. Simultaneously, it leaves them less & less time to actually connect with people face-to-face.
Because doughnuts franchises are today's coffee shops with better food, they are effectively filling this human interaction gap for lots of people. Well-lit, inviting & bright, they attract your eye as a warm & welcoming place; a place suitable for individuals, families, babies, business people, or whomever. Some people go with their babies, friends, or partner to speak about everyday things. Others may sit there & enjoy their coffee & doughnut while viewing Facebook or visiting the website of their choice. While they did not bring a mate to speak to & may not be engaging in lots of conversation with strangers, they at least get to interact with actual human beings, & can get out from behind their home or office computer screen for a couple of minutes. A casual comment like, "I like your shirt," "thank you for holding the door open," or "what type of doughnut would you like," may be the only social interaction that person has for the day. But for a society that is starved for actual face-to-face communication & human interaction; that may be substantial .
In the Nineties, you had a couple of fascinating cultural phenomena. The rise of premium coffee stores like Starbucks & Peet's had every day consumers realizing that coffee was not some black sludge, but something very enjoyable. You also had the hit tv sitcom Friends showing millions of Americans every week that a comfortable coffee/doughnut/bakery place was a great place for single people to meet up, swap tales, & hang around. Nowadays, the rise of social networks like Facebook have encouraged people to connect online with hundreds of social acquaintances & friends. Simultaneously, it leaves them less & less time to actually connect with people face-to-face.
Because doughnuts franchises are today's coffee shops with better food, they are effectively filling this human interaction gap for lots of people. Well-lit, inviting & bright, they attract your eye as a warm & welcoming place; a place suitable for individuals, families, babies, business people, or whomever. Some people go with their babies, friends, or partner to speak about everyday things. Others may sit there & enjoy their coffee & doughnut while viewing Facebook or visiting the website of their choice. While they did not bring a mate to speak to & may not be engaging in lots of conversation with strangers, they at least get to interact with actual human beings, & can get out from behind their home or office computer screen for a couple of minutes. A casual comment like, "I like your shirt," "thank you for holding the door open," or "what type of doughnut would you like," may be the only social interaction that person has for the day. But for a society that is starved for actual face-to-face communication & human interaction; that may be substantial .
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