Coffee and Its Complements: How One Stack of Newspapers Keeps a Business Afloat

It's been five days since I sat down at the Community Coffee shop located within my college's campus, and I still can't get what I overheard out of my head.

A group of people passed who noticed that CC's distributes free issues of The New York Times -- of course, all with the intention of drawing more people to buy more coffee.

One person in the group said that they went to the coffee shop every day to pick up a copy of the newspaper. Initially I thought this was pretty neat -- finally, I can find a copy of actual newsprint, which is much more appealing to me than online newspapers. I spend enough time online writing papers, doing research, etc. that I try to minimize the time my eyes are exposed to the horrendous blue waves emitted by the screen of my Dell laptop. But it took me a day or two of pondering increasing my visits to the coffee shop specifically to get that newspaper that (1) I would look pretty bad for not buying anything, which was alright with me and (2) I would probably be tempted to buy more coffee, which I already have a problem with at the moment.

More and more since taking this basic Economics class I've been thinking about how small changes can lead to big results -- something which the book by Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point, covers through numerous examples, such as the way a couple of mavens/hipsters can wear Hush Puppies and suddenly those shoes are scattered on runways and on the streets. In the case of CC's, these free newspapers seem to cost the place a few bucks, but probably not enough to outweigh their profits for the amount of people who pick them up. Not a lot of people read newspapers, and I didn't even notice they were there until I heard someone talking about them. When that person mentioned the newspapers, I and a couple other newspaper lovers picked up on it and were more likely to go back to CC's again to pick them up. Perhaps CC's is catching on to a small group of newspaper loyals. Even though most people don't read newspapers, a small percentage do, and CC's capitalizes on essentially the only place on campus where free newspapers outside of The Maroon are available.

What I make of all this is that although it's a pretty tricky thing to do, I have to applaud them for it. That one change in scene -- adding a newspaper stand -- probably draws in a small group of loyal customers who come to get the newspaper, and, probably coffee. After all most people have a habit of drinking coffee with their newspapers each morning, or, nowadays with their online, tweet-like versions of it -- snippets of daily events, watered down to satiate our small attention spans. It baffles me considering how that one detail in CC's probably gives them a whole base of customers who reliably buy coffee on a regular basis, without having to spend much money (the money they spend on the newspapers is probably outweighed by the coffee people buy to go with their newspapers, as well as the fact that there are usually lines outside the shop at low-energy times of the day like 3pm).

So, obviously CC's is doing itself a grand favor by offering free newspapers outside of it's non-existent doors. So how are we supposed to benefit from this discovery? If you're trying to run a business, organization, or perhaps a non-profit in which you're trying to gain profit/support, look for the one detail that will keep people coming back. Do you have great customer service skills? Do the laptops you sell come with an option to decrease the backlighting, so users do not burn their eyeballs reading online newspapers? I am sure that many organizations have that one small improvement that they can make that will turn everything around -- you just have to look for it. As for myself, as I try for what is probably the fourth time to bring together a group of people interested in poetry open-mics and writing workshops, I think to myself: What do writers on Loyola's campus want in a writing-centered group, and what will keep them interested in that group, i.e. participating and collaborating in what would hopefully be an inspirational and creative conglomeration of Loyola word-nerds? Maybe I have to spend hours creating flyers and hand-outs again, throwing them around campus frantically like someone losing their mind. Or perhaps, I just need to add newspapers.

Coffee and Robotics

     This past December Dave Gilbert of CNN posted an article titled "How rodents and coffee could shape future space robots," and it immediately caught my eye. Who knew that coffee and space robots could be used in the same sentence (or robots for that matter)? As a result of research by Cornell, the University of Chicago, iRobot Corp and Liquidia, robotic grippers can now be made with just a latex balloon and coffee granules.

     At The Neutral Ground Coffeehouse, coffee beans are ground up into loose power and then packed into a “puck” so that pressurized water can be pushed through to make a concentrated espresso shot. Similarly, vacuum sealed coffee is like a brick until it is opened and the grains come loose. Researchers undoubtedly have realized the benefits of a material that can be loose and conform to the shape of an object it grasps, but can also become tightly packed when it pinches and holds onto something. As 2010 "jamming gripper" researcher Heinrich Jaeger notes, the coffee-based gripper doesn't require a lot of surface area to hold onto something, either.

     This new technology is proving to have more uses than originally thought, according to co-founder of the UK's Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) and robotics expert Alan Winfield. It is possible that these coffee-grip robots can be used to collect samples on rover missions in outer space. Oftentimes robots need to collect and analyze rock samples found on planets, and the soft gripper works to grasp these samples while conforming to the object and not damaging them.

     As for the "rodent" side to this story, teams at the UK's Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) are working to develop the "Shrewbot," in honor of the Etruscan shrew, to determine if a robot can use sense to discover its surroundings without vision as animals like mice and shrews do. The robot is equipped with artifical whiskers like those of its furry comrades. Team leader Martin Pearson mentions that this work is mainly to further biologists' understanding of animals' sensory functions. However, he also notes that this kind of robotic application could be used to explore smoke-filled rooms, inspect pipelines in deep ocean waters, and possibly even wander planets where there is limited vision because of lack of light or a thick atmosphere. Alan Winfield notes that these whiskers take in information at the root -- in theory they could be damaged at the tips if they brush against rock or other materials, but still function properly.

     This is a great development for robotics. We now have grippers made using just a balloon and coffee grinds that could allow us to collect information on samples in space that may have otherwise been crushed by a less gentle gripping mechanism. And the "Shrewbot" uses whiskers that could have interesting applications in murky places where vision might not be that useful. Although these applications are still in development, I find the multitude of possibilities for them very promising. There is a chance that one day, planets with otherwise heavy atmospheres could be explored, information could be mined by whiskers instead of cameras, and fragile samples can be collected by a gripper made out of coffee beans. Yet, Winfield reminds us that these type of robots are still in development and shouldn't be expected to be running through space any time soon.

Starbucks Coffee in India

In March 2012 in the Canadian periodal Maclean’s, Tamson McMahon wrote an article entitled “Move over, Darjeeling.” It describes Starbucks’ decision to open 50 new Starbucks locations in India, where the consumption of coffee has doubled since 1999. Starbucks planned to join with Tata Group, which owns two major tea brands in India. The cafés were planned to be called “Starbucks Coffee: A Tata Alliance.” Calling the cafes "alliances" is too political to not draw suspicion. The article claims that Starbucks planned to use Indian-grown coffee, which would assist the farmers. Behind China, India is the world’s biggest tea exporter, but represents a mere five percent of coffee growers worldwide. Despite how great an idea this seems, there is a lot of competition, such as Café Coffee Day in India -- which already hosted 1,200 locations and hoped to open 1,000 more. Comparatively, Starbucks wasn't making a grand move here, but it seems they were opening up just a few stores. Perhaps enough stores to guarantee they will glean a profit without risking big losses because of competition – and in the process look like they are in an “alliance” with major tea brands in India and supporting their farmers. I fear that corporations like Starbucks trying to ‘boost up’ coffee growers might be an attempt to make India dependent on the corporate coffee shops for significant growth in exports. If they have so many coffee shops already, why are they only in the 5% of coffee growers worldwide? Do they believe Starbucks can change that percentage rate in a mere 50 café additions? If so, that is a disturbing amount of dependence to be placed on Starbucks. Hopefully with further research I can find out what has happened with these planned coffee shops over a year later.

Neutral Ground Coffeehouse - Observation/Description

From my spot at this sturdy bench, everything seems to be repeated. Many aspects of the place are layered within bigger versions of themselves. There is a pillow to my left adorned with a cartoon image of the moon, circles inside of it, and a circle coming out of its smiling mouth -- holding an American flag, strangely enough. A reference to our landing on the moon, I'm assuming, but still out of place -- as many objects here are.

There is a cork board hanging on a wall above the circle-infested pillow. It is polluted with napkins, all identical in size, each with different illustrations. Some are brief poems, others wacky sketches, and underneath the napkins are larger papers still with block writing or script. Sometimes I can't tell the difference between all these white sheets of paper, from far away. But when I sit here on the bench and look up close at them all, I really start to notice individual world each one contains. One  has the sketch of the world on it. Another, a sketch of Jesus dressed as Santa Claus. I notice for the first time that there is a photograph of a Labrador in black and blue ink and I wonder whose it could be, and what its name is.

Over to my right, the giant rectangular chalkboard harbors four small boards within, each containing every snack, shot and sticker the place has to offer.

There are four rows of wooden shelves lining the wall to the right of the board, all spilling over with coffee mugs. Some have names of  pizza places, winking yellow smiley faces, Starbucks jokes and classic Western landscapes. From business names to non sequiturs, the different faces of the mugs are endless. But they are all around the same size, all on identical dark finish shelves, each belonging to someone who, at one point or another, has made their way to this exact same spot.

The Neutral Ground's History

The Neutral Ground Coffeehouse has been circling about New Orleans since the 70's. In 1974, it was named the Penny Post, but three years later a fire brought the Maple Street location to an end. The owner then offered the place to regulars and suggested they run the business together. So, they took the business and found a new place for it on Daneel Street, where a bar used to reside. The Penny Post was run by its members, who paid a fee to keep the coffee house on its feet, and who were also encouraged to volunteer. That is, until financial problems ensued and it had to close in the 90's. Despite this, some members got it operating under a new name: The Neutral Ground. It was nearly identical to the Penny Post in its atmosphere and services. However, with more financial problems came another closure, until Phil started it back up again. This is the history the Neutral Ground's website tells us.

One regular at the Neutral Ground, Matt, has told us that the building used to be home to a grocery store in the 50's or 60's. Jake has mentioned that there used to be a wraparound bar, but the building was cut in half to accommodate apartments next door. Sarah says that the small hideaway in the corner of the coffee shop, the "Zen Den," used to be a DJ booth. What the place used to be is in question, but the Neutral Ground has been in its present place since the 90's, and has survived.

A picture of The Neutral Ground as it was in December 2012.

The Neutral Ground survived because it's a second home for many people, including myself. Several of my friends have known each other and hung out there since they were children. Until recently it was worked completely by volunteers for only tips. Now, one of the owners works the coffee shop most days -- but some of us still volunteer in the middle of the week. I believe this place will always exist in some form as long as there is a community willing to keep it alive.

Coffee Shops in Literature

In the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, a coffee shop appears on page 15 of the novel, just five pages into chapter one. Journalist Mikael Blomkvist has just gotten out of the courtroom after being convicted of fifteen counts of libel against Hans-Eric Wennerström. He decides to go to Kafé Anna, and orders a caffe latte and a sandwich. While attempting to eat, he listens to news stories on the radio – two unrelated to him, then one that features his case. The report is mostly a neutral description of the case and the charges given to Blomkvist, although at the end it is said that Blomkvist is “satisfied with the judgement” (15). He doesn’t seem to be too satisfied, however – the following paragraphs narrate how nervous Blomkvist is about paying all of the fees, although the journalist admits to himself it could have been worse. As he reads the judgment papers he has brought from court, he “felt a growing heaviness and discomfort in his stomach.” He couldn’t even finish the sandwich (16).

The coffee shop seems to serve as an escape for Blomkvist – a place where he can be in the comforting anonymity of strangers, and in the comfort of food. He doesn’t stop to go home, stop to call a friend, but rushes to this coffee shop. He orders food, but cannot even eat it. Even though he tries to escape, he can’t – the news report is in his ear, reminding him of the very thing he was trying not to think about so much. The radio report jolts Blomkvist into his discomfort, and he pushes his plate of food aside and begins to feel uneasy (16). Coffee shops are a place of escape, but also “inescapability” – they fool one into thinking one can bask in anonymity, but since many include a TV or some form of media, the media reminds one that one is not really in some secluded land of comfort from the “real world.”

Coffee Shops & Their Relationship with Food

Coffee shops are not just a place where people go to get their daily or hourly coffee fix. They are equipped with an assortment of caffeinated drinks to keep them awake and carbohydrate-stuffed snacks to give one a blood sugar boost to the moon. Mainly you get what you'd expect – coffee and tea. At the Neutral Ground there is hot chocolate, Perrier, energy drinks, and so on and it defies the ‘normal’ idea of what a coffee shop is supposed to consist of on a base level.

                                      A cappucino made by one of the talented Neutral Ground baristas.

The food offered in coffee shops usually consists of baked goods like bagels and cookies. Some coffee shops offer full meals as well. The Neutral Ground has begun to offer several different food plates: French bread with vinaigrette, chicken paté, cheese -- heck, you can even ask for a single bowl full of assorted olives (I've had one of the musicians playing ask for that as the compensation they receive for playing a free gig).

Some coffee shops treat food as an aside to the real deal: a good shot of espresso. Others treat it is as a fine art, and they should. Because let's be honest: many people don't just want coffee, they want something to eat, too. Most coffee shops have the same pre-frozen, pre-packaged muffins and bagels, but there are cafés that go to the extreme to make sure their customers have everything they could possibly want. At the Neutral Ground, there are some pre-packaged foods like Goldfish, but there are also dishes of toasted French bread with cheese or meat and so on. I think it's important that when we consider a coffee shop, we don't just consider its coffee, but the food as well. It's a vital aspect to the success of a coffee shop because it determines whether people will stay for fifteen minutes or a few hours -- and whether they will come back.