Inclusive Cafes are the New Hangout Spots
By Elizabeth Sanchez
The typical American worker or student’s routine seems to be waking up, going to work or school, heading home, and doing it all over again. People don’t have time to explore or hang out outside of these areas and if they do, where can they go? Where do we start looking? What’s there to do?
The idea of finding an area where people can hang out outside of work or school is decreasing, with the 2020 lockdown. An article by the National Library of Medicine, “Closure of Third Places?” describes this as a subcategory of the broad material foundation that supports our social lives and builds our community. People must have places they can go to outside of their repetitive and mundane routines. In simpler terms, a third place.
Nowadays, finding a leisure spot is more difficult than ever. But how do business owners of these third places feel about their space and the importance of what it means? Villa Rivera Café owners, Raquel and Deborah, started their business a year ago, on April 11, 2023, in Salinas,California. I met with them about the process for creating their vision of a third place and what that definition meant to them.
Café shops are the most popular third place in America, the University of Chicago writes. They’re easy to find, accessible, and have menu options for a variety of guests.
The shop located in the inner buildings of the Salinas court, identifiable with the large banner outside that reads, ‘coffee’, stands as a third place for busy jurors and students who want a break. Walking in, I was welcomed by plants, shelves of coffee beans, and their display cases of food and pastries. Behind them, their menu was displayed with rows of plants and letters that displayed the initials of the shop. Walking in, I was greeted right away and they offered to answer any questions I might’ve had before ordering. I spoke with the sisters, Raquel and Deborah, whose idea for a café shop was built last year. I asked them how they felt about their café and their feelings towards their first anniversary since their grand opening. Raquel said, “We feel very blessed and excited to have this shop. Our anniversary is on April 11 and we’re going to have special pastries and drinks for everyone who comes in.”
When it came to their vision, Raquel describes that their vision was to create a nice, safe place for anyone who enters. She said, “We kinda wanted to create an escape for people who work here in the courthouse.” Referring back to the customers who frequent their shop, jurors, and businesspeople. Their itinerary comes from local shops, supporting flower vendors and shops
like Otto’s Bread to create their menu items. Making their spot in their community, they continue to support their local community and small businesses. Their ambiance and environment have created a safe place for their customers to enjoy their food, something the owners were striving for.
But what does it mean to have a safe place? What are the elements that bring in this ambiance that create the inclusive environment of a third place? I asked Raquel if they believed there were key elements that they felt were necessary to their business and overall for a cafe.
“That’s a good question, we took a good month discussing how we wanted this cafe to look and the atmosphere we wanted to create,” she said. The sisters were aiming for a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere, combined with personal interests like paintings by Raquel and their shared love for plants. The idea for their place was designed to be welcoming and neutral.
“We wanted this welcoming, relaxing atmosphere when you walk in, so no matter who you are, you feel welcomed here,” Raquel tells me. The ideal definition of what a third place means. For these business owners, comfort and a touch of self-creativity took hold in their cafes. With the location and design of their business, they designed their business for the customers who frequent it. Utilizing to-go cups and menu items that can be enjoyed inside or out.
The customers frequenting this business are jurors and people who work in the courthouse. This area benefits them from the daunting and stressful work environment they are constantly in. Walking into a place where you can comfortably forget what you are worrying about is important for people. The National Library of Medicine connects these places with better health, quality of life, and overall well-being. The owners’ inclusive menu, stocked with healthier menu items for people who struggle with health conditions, or have different diets, is one detail that sets the tone for what third places bring to communities, inclusivity and a place to escape to.
