Coffee Shop

The Coffee Shop: Social and Physical
Factors Influencing Place Attachment
Lisa Waxman, Ph.D., Florida State University

Abstract
This study explored the characteristics that encourage gathering behavior and contribute to place attachment in selected coffee shops in the context of literature suggesting social gathering places contribute to social capital. These gathering places, with the potential to enhance community in this manner, have been called third places. The study was qualitative in nature and included the research techniques of visual documentation, observation and behavioral mapping, interview, and survey. A transactional approach to this study was chosen to better understand the meaning of the person-environment relationship. Each coffee shop was observed for twenty-five hours for a total of seventy-five hours. Eighteen interviews were conducted and surveys were collected from
94 patrons to reveal patron attitudes toward the physical and social aspects of the coffee shop as well as their feelings regarding the community in which they live.
The key findings regarding the physical characteristics showed the top five design considerations included: cleanliness, appealing aroma, adequate lighting, comfortable furniture, and a view to the outside. A number of themes emerged related to people, their activities, and their feelings and attitudes regarding the coffee shop. Each coffee shop was found to have a unique social climate and culture related to sense of belonging, territoriality and ownership, productivity and personal growth, opportunity for socialization, support and networking, and sense of community. Regarding feelings of community, survey findings from coffee shops patrons showed a positive correlation between length of patronage and their sense of attachment to their community.

Introduction

(p. 19). Putnam expressed concern that the decrease in community activity and community sharing results in the shrinking of social capital which threatens

References: Altman, I. & Low, S. (Eds.) (1992). Place attachment. New York: Plenum Press. Hummon, D. (1992). Community attachment. In I. Altman & S. Altman, I. & Rogoff, B. (1987) World views in psychology: Trait, interactionist, organismic, and transactional approaches Lawrence, D. (1992). Transcendence of Place. In I. Altman & S Bower, S. (1980). Territory in urban settings. In I. Altman, A. Low, S. (1992) Symbolic ties that bind. In I. Altman & S. Low (Eds.), Place attachment Lippard, L. (1997). The lure of the local: Sense of place in a multicentered society Low, S. & Altman, L. (1992). Place attachment: A conceptual inquiry Brown, B. & Perkins, D. (1992). Disruptions in place attachment. In I. Altman & S. Low, (Eds.), Place attachment. New York: Plenum Press. Moos, R. H. & Lemke, S. (1984). Multiphasic environmental assessment procedure (MEAP): Manual Chawla, L. (1992). Childhood place attachments. In I. Altman & S Cooper-Marcus, C. (1992). Environmental memories. In I. Altman & S. Low (Eds.), Place attachment. New York: Plenum Press. Oldenburg, R. (1999). The great good place. New York: Marlowe & Company. Cooper-Marcus, C. & Francis, C. (1998). People places. New York: Wiley & Sons. Pendergrast, M. (1999). Uncommon grounds: The history of coffee and how it transformed our world Crumpacker, S. (1992). The experience of school as place. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Virginia, 1992). Dissertation Abstracts International, DIA-A 53/08, 2610. Pitt, D. & Zube, E. (1987). Management of natural environments. In D. Stokols & I. Altman, (Eds.), Handbook of Environmental Psychology (Vol. 2), New York: John Wiley. Dale, F. D. (1982). Patterns of preference in the indoor environment. Unpublished honors thesis. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Proshansky, H., Fabian, A., & Kaminoff, R. (1983). Place-identity: Physical world socialization of the self. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 3, 57-83. Dewey, J. & Bentley, A (1949) Knowing and the known. Boston: Beacon. Putnam, R. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community Eisner, E. (1998). The enlightened eye: Qualitative inquiry and the enhancement of educational practice Relph, E. (1976). Place and placelessness. London: Pion Limited. Fleming, R. L. & Von Tscharner, R. (1987). Placemakers. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Rivas, C. (2004, January 10). Coffeehouses pour into Tallahassee. Tallahassee Democrat, E1, E2 Harris, P., Brown, B Rivlin, L. (1987). The neighborhood, personal identity, and group affiliations Holmes, H. (2004, November, 30). Coffee Shop. SBDCNET San Antonio, Retrieved February 11, 2006, from http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu.