An Ode to Coffee Shops
(Soundtrack for this blog: Relaxing Music Radio — Future Garage for Smooth Workflow)
My Journey In Coffee Shops
Here’s a fun fact: I started my master’s degree at the University of Illinois (Go Illini, now and forever!!!!) almost 20 years ago in the Fall of 2022 (around March 2002 I was biting my nails waiting to hear if UIUC had accepted with a Fulbright scholarship)… and it’s been almost 20 years that coffee shops have been a huge part of my academic career. I worked through my graduate courses, wrote my master’s thesis at one of the coffee shops near campus and wrote my dissertation at another. It was at a coffee shop where I met a fellow ex-Fulbrighter in 2008 … and 14 years later, she and I have been to a lot of coffee shops together. We even had our wedding celebration at a local coffee shop in Medellín. I’ve been to coffee shops by myself, with friends, with my wife, then with our dogs. I mourned the loss of Gorgeous George at the coffee shop we used to go with him and I stopped going to one because the owner showed unnecessary animosity toward the Clan MacLeod (although that one turned out for the best, as we three found a place that was our home base for several years). Whenever I go to to a conference, I always track the local coffee shops. I made sure to do that as soon as I had moved to Trondheim and I did the same for my visit to Białystok (In what amounts to a meta- moment of sorts, I’m writing this at a coffee shop!). Coffee shops have been and will very likely be a big part of my writing efforts as long as I’m doing writing.
So… Many… Coffee… Shops!
In that sense, I consider myself a connoisseur. 20 years of coffee shop academicking can do that to you. I still recall the most memorable cafes I’ve visited over the years: As my journey started in my beloved Chambana, I always remember the already gone Espresso Royale at the Illini Union to the Espressos by Krannert and the Palette (my wife used to like the already gone Espresso by Goodwin and that was the place where we pretty much started dating in 2008), Green Street Coffee House later named Guilani’s until closing (sorry, a lot of folks loved Cafe Paradiso in Urbana, but that one was never my cup of tea), later places such as Aroma and Pekara in Downtown Champaign became workstations during my doctoral studies… and of course a special mention to Argo Tea in Chicago, where I conducted several interviews for my dissertation! After graduation, I tried several coffee shops in Medellín. I was especially fond of Café Velvet (a place we first took George and later Connor and Duncan when they were very young pups), Semilla Café Coworking, Quiero Café, Forest Coffee Shop, and Azul Café. When I moved to Trondheim, I gave a shot at places like Dromedar, Espresso House, and Kaffebrenieret and on my short visit to Białystok, I’ve spent time at places such as White Bear Coffee and Duży Pokój. There are of course coffee shops I’ve visited in Bogotá, Pereira, Chicago, Washington D.C., Nashville, Toronto, Pilsen, Lublin, and Ekaterinburg during conferences and university visits (there are some I haven’t mentioned, but I’ll leave that for the end of this post!)
Why the Allure?
There are mixed feelings about working and writing in coffee shops, that’s for sure, and the pros and cons are equally warranted. Some people really vouch for coffee shops as a nice work area whereas others would rather you wrote someplace else. Some people argue for the productivity that happens there, as well as the creativity. I will give you this much: Writing in coffee shops is an acquired taste and not every professor I know relishes on going there to get their writing mojo going. The counterarguments about the noise and the crowds are fair and some people need the absolute solitude of their office to get that mojo. That’s the beauty of this, there are indeed different strokes for different folks!
Of course, here’s a caveat: I don’t teach or have virtual meetings in coffee shops (in-person meetings at a coffee shop are fun, though). Home is the optimal place for those, where I don’t have to worry about the WiFi (in some places, it can be sketchy) and where, yes, the ambient noise won’t be an issue. In addition, at home I have all my tech equipment for meetings (streaming webcam, podcasting mic, external keyboard, etc.) and carrying that everywhere is a big no-no. I don’t do grading in coffee shops either… that’s office work. Coffee shops are my writing space and a space I like to share with kindred spirits.
Now, let me tell you why I love writing in coffee shops (in fact, I think some of my best publications and my first book took off in coffee shops… and once again, did I mention I analyzed the data and wrote a big chunk of my dissertation in one???) and why that might work for you too.
Coffee… Coffee… Coffee…
Here’s another confessional: Although I am a proud Colombian, I only got into the coffee groove in grad school and haven’t looked back. But, let’s be honest, coffee is a great fuel for that writing mojo to start flowing. If writing is your life, then look for good coffee in good places. A nice coffee shop can be inspiring (and of course, please, buy more than one coffee if you’re gonna be at the coffee shop for the long haul!) and the right atmosphere lends itself to even more writing.
A Bit of Motion Ain’t So Bad
Coffee shops are places where people come and go, there’s conversation, music, etc. Once again, it can be very distracting to some, but there’s something nice (especially as we’re trying to reclaim the streets in the postpandemic era) about seeing people talking, reading, or working. One thing I’ve liked about my favorite coffee shops is that I also get to see friends and that makes me feel better about everything.
When I work at a coffee shop, even with company, even when I go with my wife and the doggies, I like the ambient motion around me and then I create this little bubble with my laptop and my Sennheisers (my headphones are a big part of all of this. Pro Tip: If you’re into academic writing and want to make coffee shops your little lair, invest in a good pair of headphones! Noise-cancelling helps too. But invest in that. I’ve enjoyed the move to wireless headphones and there are good models out there at different price ranges. If you can go for it, I vouch for Sennheiser, but see what works for you) and I get to work.
Campuses are not Built for Academic Writing!
Don’t get me wrong: I do enjoy going to the university. I have missed not teaching in person during the pandemic and I don’t mind going to my office for meetings and office stuff. But when it comes to writing, I don’t think the campus is writing-friendly, at least for me (I’m sure other colleagues would say they can only write if they’re in their office or cubicle… different strokes, I guess!) The coffee shop offers me a place where even if there are distractions, I can keep my mind off the office stuff that inevitably drops by your desk if you’re on campus. Plus, there’s always better coffee, make no mistake (sorry, but no real writing has ever come out from getting coffee from the vending machine!)
What I Look for in a Coffee Shop
Part of one’s success while writing at a coffee shop is making sure that some external factors are conducive to that writing. You already have the essentials that you’ll need, such as your laptop, notebooks, pens, and maybe your headphones (and really, don’t go for earbuds! Headphones are always a better choice in terms of sound and comfort). Now, you need to ensure the other stuff is in place (if it isn’t, go elsewhere. Keeping your writing mojo flowing is important!):
Coffee, Beverage, and Food Selection
This may sound silly, but make sure there are good choices in the menu. Sure, maybe all you drink is an Espresso, an Americano, or a Cappuccino and you don’t venture outside of your weapon of choice. That doesn’t mean you should settle for badly made coffee. Make sure the baristas know what on earth they’re doing. You’re pumping that fuel on your veins, this is not the time to settle for the crappy stuff. If you’re just getting started on coffee, check the reviews and decide accordingly. If you prefer to add some teas or juices to your drinking selection, make sure this coffee shop also offers some variety. Ditto goes for food. While a nice pastry is lovely every now and then, it also matters to be able to find something to eat that’s not sugary in nature. You may be planning to spend several hours here, looking at the menu is important!
WiFi
Even though I said I don’t tend to do office work while writing, sometimes my students still need me. I do check e-mails a few times during my writing and I’m always aware of any new events. Also, I sometimes need to search for information for my articles and oftentimes I write the drafts using Google Drive. Ergo, having good WiFi is a must. While there are coffee shops that thrive on not offering WiFi, a NoFi coffee shop for academic purposes is a terrible idea. So, make sure there’s decent WiFi at your coffee shop so that you can stay connected while getting that writing done.
Tables
Sure, this sounds rather obvious, but it’s always worth looking into this. Some coffee shops have really, really tiny tables (that should be a red flag that they want your money, not your business) so that makes work difficult. I always look into this carefully. Jörmungandr is a 15.6" gaming laptop so in a tiny table that means 3/4 of the space might be gone). I usually prefer coffee shops with larger tables; square or rectangular are always good. That or a nice bar tall enough to write standing up (to “do the DJ thing,” as I like to say) is always a good addition. Just make sure there’s enough space for you, your notebooks, and if you’re not alone, for some company
Outlets
True, these days many laptops advertise battery life for several hours, enough to get you going through your day. But, you never know when batteries play tricks on you. There are of course some laptops that drain battery life to get the job done (as much as I like Jörmungandr, I usually don’t get more than 2 hours at a time… I’ve had it since 2018, mind you) and there’s always the need to plug in. So, make sure there are enough outlets available… or at least some outlets.
A coffee shop with no outlets is a major red flag that it’s not a writing-friendly or writing-interested coffee shop (My wife and I used to go to a certain local coffee shop that, quoting SNL’s SuperFans, it started with “P”, ended with “o”, and in the middle said “ergamin” … until one day the owner chose to take away all the outlets. If that doesn’t tell you, “Get Out,” I don’t know what does!)
Lighting and Overall Ambience
Even Ernest Hemingway knew that a “Clean, Well-Lighted Place” makes a world of difference. You want to make sure there’s plenty of lighting, at different hours. If the café works in the evenings, make sure it’s well lit. If you go in the day, make sure there’s enough sunlight to get stuff done. How much does outside noise affect you? Coming from Colombia, where outside noise is in no short supply, you want to look into this (that’s when noise-cancelling headphones are really necessary!). How crowded is the place overall? Always keep that in mind as you organize your schedule.
Pet Friendliness
Granted, this wasn’t a factor when I was a grad student, but it’s actually the x-factor right now. Whenever possible, I like to keep Connor MacLeod and Duncan MacLeod beside me (my wife concurs). They’re very good boys at the coffee shop, they usually rest and snooze, so they won’t bother the other patrons. So, I like to have a sense of reassurance that they’re welcome.
The Coffee Shops I’ve Come To Call MY Coffee Shops
As I said, I’ve spent a great deal of time in coffee shops, first as a graduate student and now as a professor. Lots of good stuff has come out from those hours of writing there, so I treasure the magic. But some places became more than a cafe… they became offices, they became a home away from home. Here’s the list of those places that I always remember very fondly. It’s my list and there are cafes missing and there are cities I still need to visit. If you read this and want to suggest a coffee shop, just tweet me your recommendations!
Cafe Kopi, Champaign, IL, USA
Cafe Kopi, right in the heart of Downtown Champaign, is my gold standard. It’s the quintessential coffee shop for me. Every time I visit my alma mater, a pilgrimage to Kopi is de rigueur (and I’m not the only alumni who does this, mind you!) Kopi is the perfect storm of all the six categories (ok, I think they only allow pets to sit outside, so): There’s WiFi, a superb coffee and tea selection and decent food options. What makes Kopi stand out, though, is the overall atmosphere. Kopi is a place that begs you to come in and write. The entire place is an invitation to write, no wonder so many doctoral students over the years have gone there to write their dissertations. Honestly, Paul West (Kopi’s owner) has gotten more PhDs out fo their programs than many faculty members at U of I!
Drink recommendation: Try the Cafe Miel. It is just amazing!
Café Revolución, Medellín, Colombia
Café Revolución (or CaféRev as we call it) is the life project of two Hungarians, Zsolti and Peter, who started it around 2015. I came to CaféRev after leaving a place whose owner looked at my dogs with so much hate in her eyes, I don’t even know what to say. I had been told about this place, so after that incident, the Clan and I went there. I saw a bowl for water… and the rest was history. Café Revolución became our workplace, and by our I mean for my wife, the Clan MacLeod, my research lab, and myself. It was a place where we met friends from all over (maximum love here for the my true brotha from another motha Rob LaFond), a place for writing, hangouts and later trivia (The Highlanders Forever!!!!!).
Café Rev has a very impressive coffee selection. Zsolti himself is quite the connoisseur and they even have their own coffee brand! I’d definitely recommend their cappuccino, their dirty chai, and their smoothies. Oh, and do stop by the LaFond store and get a Medellín t-shirt! Ah, and if you see a really cute pitty named Noa, give her some love! She’s all love and cuddles!
Café Terrario, Medellín, Colombia
Café Terrario opened at the end of 2019… and they nearly missed closing due to the pandemic, so it’s nice to see them thrive after all that. Working at Terrario started out of sheer convenience, as I lived two blocks from there. But, as we kept going, we really got to like the place. Its location in the Laureles area is superb and they’re incredibly pet-friendly! Like Rev, they also boast their own coffee brand. They make really good cappuccino, so go for it! Also, try their breakfasts.
Jacobsen og Svart, Trondheim, Norway
When I relocated to Norway, I knew I needed a new lair, so to speak. Jacobsen og Svart is definitely a place I’ve come to enjoy in Trondheim. First, their baristas are very friendly (one of them even helped me find information about Hundepatruljen, the local doggie daycare, and about where to get my hair cut!) The coffee selection is rather standard, but really good quality. It also has a lovely atmosphere and is really quiet to work. Where Jacobsen og Svart stands out, however, is in its pet friendliness: Norway is still a long ways to go when it comes to that (even the Colombian pet friendly culture is light years ahead!), so finding places where one can enter with the furry ones hasn’t been easy. Fortunately, the staff at Jacobsen og Svart look puppies! Connor and Duncan have been most welcome here and that gives them the nod!
Kawiarnia Akcent, Białystok, Poland
Granted, this is just my second week in Białystok, but it doesn’t take too long for me to recognize a nice coffee shop. Akcent, located right in the heart or Rynek Kościuszki, is a really nice place to come and write. What first caught my eye was the façade with all the variations of the letter “A” in different fonts and alphabets (as someone with a PhD in language and literacy, this is the stuff that makes you geek out big time!). Once you enter, Akcent also has a small bookshop and they even sell some handmade jewelry. Now, the coffee and food selection is good, and don’t even get me started on the desserts (by golly, do Polish people know about desserts!!!!). The place is also pet-friendly so that’s a bonus. And since I’m in Rynek Kościuszki myself for this visit, it’s right around the corner!
So, there you have it. I finally got to share all I love about the one place for so much of the writing magic has happened these past two decades. I love coffee shops and I see myself working and writing in one till my last breath. If you liked this post, let me know… and if we ever cross paths on a coffee shop, let me say farewell here by remixing the short poem To You by Walt Whitman whose opening lines are etched in my right arm:
Stranger, if you, at a coffee shop, meet me
And desire to have a drink with me,
Why should you not have a cup of joe with me,
And why should I not have a cup of joe with you?
Till the next post…
The Blogger, The Thinker, The Provocateur… The Dr. of Patronomics.
