Cafe Ethnography

Location: Crema Coffee

Time: 2:30pm to 5:00pm

Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2014

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2:30

First Post. Initial reactions to location: large, can seat up to fifty people (more space than a typical cafe), and mostly filled.  Age groups represented are quite broad, with a large number of 18 to 25 year olds (20+ members) mixed with a large number of 50 to 65 year olds (also 20+ members). Must take into account that it is a Tuesday during a work week, as well as during the work day, so demographics may change over time.

2:40

The space is quite loud. This may be a result of the high ceilings, but people are not discouraged from talking to each other in this space. Cafes tend to have a library feel to them, as if conversations are expected to take place in a subdued voice out of respect for the people sitting alone. There are definitely people sitting alone in this space. There is a bar specifically dedicated to people who want to sit by themselves. However, many people are sitting in groups and are happy to talk in a normal tone. One might think that it would give the space a high school cafeteria feeling, but the essence of the cafe is not diminished by the lack of indie music playing in the background.

2:50

There’s a guy sitting next to me at the same table. He’s been sitting here for a while, not saying anything, looking out the window at the cruise ship in the harbor. In front of him sit a coffee and an iPhone—the typical mask of today’s city-goer.  That’s not what interests me, though. Its the fact that he sat at the same table as me—without needing to ask—and it was okay for both of us. It makes me question just how many people, that I would assume are in groups, are sitting independently of each other. There is minimal sense of ownership of individual spaces by their users. Why? There may be several reasons. I think its because there are so few spaces to sit inside, and there are SO MANY people here in terms of a typical cafe. Odds are, I will not speak to this guy (he doesn’t look like he wants to be disturbed—everyone has those days, I can empathize). However, there is no awkward tension between us, despite our shared space, our proximity, and our mutual identities as complete strangers. I’m a fan of that. More spaces should be this welcoming.

3:00

I am seeing a lot of runners go past the window. Its lightly misting outside, but that doesn’t seem to be deterring anyone. The runners are all in their 20s or 30s. This tells me a lot about the location of the cafe within the city fabric. Granted, Portland is not large, which mean a 3-mile run could most definitely include Exchange Street as a part of a runner’s route from anyone living on the peninsula. However, their age corresponds directly with the age of the people sitting in the cafe. What this tells me is that Crema Coffee is also within walking distance for many of these individuals, which means that Exchange Street on the north side of Franklin Street sits in a neighborhood that has a large young-person population. The success of this establishment is proof of that as well.

3:10

I spent $4.39 on a small maple latte. ALL THREE of those words, associated with the price, are evidence of (dare I say) gentrification.  As much as I hate the negative connotation associated with that word, I can’t deny its existence. I purchased twice the amount of liquid at Tim Horton’s in Topsham earlier, and it cost half as much. So why, oh WHY, was I willing to pay four times as much per unit of liquid for this beverage?? Well firstly, it was made with real maple sugar. That’s an added cost that is directly absorbed by the customer’s wallet. Secondly, the beverage, made with the same type of bean as my Tim Horton’s coffee, was called a latte. Marginally stronger, I’ll grant you, but no less similar. The name latte allows them to charge more because it is a specialty beverage. It is not the norm. Lastly, it was served to me with a fancy heart drawn in the steamed milk in the top. That’s the clincher. The effort to create that heart, however minimal, and the idea to add the superficial decoration (that adds nothing to the actual quality or flavor of the beverage) is reason enough to charge more than a standard coffee.

3:20

I just had a wonderful conversation with the elderly lady sitting adjacent to me at my table. This is another example of mutually shared space, but also a great example non-existent stranger anxiety within this space. We have never met, but we were more than willing to have a meaningful conversation following the simple question of connecting to the local WiFi. This probably would not have happened on the street, and it would definitely not have happened in a fancy restaurant. The cafe creates a sense of community. We are here for various reasons, but we are connected within the space by the welcoming aura .

3:30

I’ve seen many people walk in here, look around briefly, and then approach an individual who had been apparently waiting for them inside and proceed to sit down with them. This is important for the identity of the space. It has been recognized as a space of welcomed congregation. In doing so, it is creating repeat customers, who will frequent the space, spend their money here, and contribute to the success of the space. It also creates a node of the space within the fabric of the city.

3:40

The age group of the cafe has begun to shift. The younger people who were here in large numbers earlier have mostly departed. They’ve been replaced largely by members of the 50-65 year old age group—they represent about 75% of the people here right now. I’m sure this has to do with the cruise ship docked right across the street, but the number of flannel shirts I’m seeing suggests there are a good number of local users in here too.

3:50

The rain has been a big factor in the number of people here, I’m sure. However, I’m curious to see how the business is affected by nice weather. Obviously, people are staying inside because the rain keeps them off the streets. That would suggest there are people here that wouldn’t be here if there was nice weather. However, I would also speculate that the space benefits from nice weather too, because there are more people on the streets. Tourists definitely contribute to the business here, and they are probably deterred from venturing this far off the beaten path of the Old Port. I would venture to say there would be fewer locals in here if there were nicer weather, and MANY more tourists.

4:00

There are paintings periodically placed on the walls. They function as great decoration, off-setting the rustic brick of the walls and making the space feel a little more welcome. Each one also has a small, white square at its bottom-right. All of these paintings are for sale! This space isn’t just a cafe—its a functional gallery too. This cafe is the quintessential mixed-use space: it has so many varying functions that add to its usefulness, and also makes it a more attractive space. It is going to attract a wider variety of users, it will attract MORE users, and it will likely be more successful than a space that only offers coffee, only offers a place to sit, or only offers paintings for sale. All it needs is a performance stage in the corner…

4:10

The work day is nearing the end of completion, so new groups of people are beginning to pop up in the cafe. One of them is the casual business type. Pointed leather shoes, sports coats, and designer jeans are clear indications of someone with an “important job” and a very, very “disposable income.”  They come in, buy their grande mocha-choca decaf latte double-shot with pumpkin spice, and leave. Probably off to an “important business meeting.” This is countered by the other group: the college student, specifically the artsy type. This group has an affinity for facial piercings, loose black beanies, fantastic hair, and outfits purchased at Goodwill for under $10. These students probably don’t have disposable incomes, but are also staying in the space much longer. They know the people who work here, and while they can’t necessarily buy the most expensive item on the menu every time they visit, they are definitely far more of a staple to the environment. They are contributing to the success of the business by their mere presence.

4:20

There is a completely different group of people in the space now than was here when I first arrived. Even the barista positions have changed hands. There are fewer people here than there were earlier, but the space feels just as active. There may be fewer contributing members, but the people here are far more often in groups than they were before. There are fewer individual users in the space, who were more likely to be silent and less likely to interact with the people around him. The people now, however, are gathered in mutual groups. These people are not silent, and are contributing to the white noise of the space even more than they were before. A line has formed at the counter now, though. I have a feeling that the space will start to feel spatially full once again, as well as resonantly active.

4:30

For the first time since I arrived at the cafe, the couch in front of the bay window at the front of the space is open. It has been occupied by a group for the entirety of my time here. I’m going to keep an eye on this: I want to know just how valuable this space is to the users of the cafe, and I’ll judge that by how quickly the space is filled up. INSERT: It took 90 seconds. And that’s being generous; it probably took less time than that. I’m astounded. My guess was three times longer than the actual time it took. That makes it three times more valuable than I first considered it (in terms of usefulness and desirability, as the space really isn’t “worth” anything to use). Imagine if we charged the use of space in a cafe by how much people want to use it, like we do parking lots or apartments? That would be the definition of degenerative gentrification, if you ask me.

4:40

As I reach the tail-end of my observations, I continue to see the same patterns occurring as I did earlier: people coming in and meeting people who have been here already for some time; a majority of young people balanced by an equal majority of middle-age people; business types who enter and leave, and artsy people who come in and stay in. Something I haven’t before that I’ve begun to see: people are moving seats. If they were sitting towards the back of the cafe, they are moving positions toward the front of the store. If they are sitting at dining tables on wooden chairs, they are moving towards the plush lounge chairs and coffee tables. As vacancies in more valuable spaces are opening up, people are taking advantage of them to once again create a natural scarcity in valuable spaces. It seems to be the natural tendency to migrate towards the more valuable spaces in the cafe; such spaces will not simply be left open if the opportunity to “conquer” them arises. Human nature, at a microscopic level.

4:50

The space has quieted down in the past hour. I can hear the background music for the first time since I arrived—its indie music, just as I expected. The space has gained more of the typical cafe aura, but it has not lost its identity as a place of congregation. Demographics remain the same, even if the total numbers have gone down.

5:00

The cafe is going to close in an hour. As a result, the staff is beginning its pre-closing routine: emptying garbage cans, washing empty tables, cleaning dishes and equipment, etc. More people are leaving than are arriving, as would be expected. The weather hasn’t really changed during the entirety of my stay, so its safe to say that my observations can be used as a summary for the majority of rainy days in this establishment. Given its location, though, I would wager that this place could function as a very successful bar on the weekends. It has the space and the atmosphere that would welcome many of the same people, just at a different time. A suggestion I could bring up to the proprietors of this business at a later date, perhaps…