Coffee Shops as Third Spaces | #BlogPostCard

By: Bronlynn Thurman

The sound of a grinder turning on broke through the constant murmur of conversations and soon the nutty, fragrant smell of coffee beans wafted through the dimly lit space. I took a sip of the latest single origin on pour over and its medium body coated my tongue with notes of chocolate and hazelnut. Coffee shops have always held a certain sort of romantic fascination for me. They’re not just places to get a cup of coffee – they’re a convening space, an office, an art gallery, a third space where people have chance encounters. Coffeeshops are the places where people fall in love, where stories are written, where friendships are made.

The L Word, a Sex in the City-esq show that follows a group of lesbians navigating the tricky world of romance and friendship, was often set in a coffeeshop. I can name a number of other shows that were centered around these sorts of third spaces; Cheers comes to mind almost immediately. There’s something about the local coffee shop, the neighborhood bar, the public library that has a low enough barrier of entry and enables such disparate groups to hold space together. 

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Nothing could be truer than Akron Coffee Roasters and their second location, Asterisk Coffee Bar. Whether I’m running into a former teacher, having an animated discussion about books with a friend, or bonding over some obscure pop culture reference with a fellow patron, coffee shops, and specifically ACR, have served as a place for those chance encounters and for me to connect with my fellow humans.

But I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the time to go beyond the space that the shops provide and mention the people who make it come alive. The ACR/ACBar team have such a keen attention to detail and love for what they do and that’s reflected in the quality of their products. I don’t believe that I truly had coffee until I became a patron of ACR. Because of Albert, Eva and their team, I have come to appreciate the beans I consume and my palate has evolved in the process. In the four years since I’ve begun frequenting ACR, these wonderful humans have expanded my world view in ways I wouldn’t have comprehended, and I’ve gained some significant friendships. For that, I am sincerely grateful.

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Bronlynn Thurman is a community advocate and connoisseur of local coffee. She can be found exploring cities and hiking trails IRL or virtually at @_BronT_ on Instagram and Twitter or on her blog, Tea Time with the Mad Artist.

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