Office Cafe

Third Place Success Formula

Who says that you can’t have great personal service in the mall? I know that around the world, people are working to make their “third place” the very best that it can be. And who would figure that one could find a sense of community amid the constantly hurried pace of the mall? One guy that is really making it happen for The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida is Jeremy, at the Starbucks near Macy’s. (The Gardens Mall has three Starbucks Cafes, each with its own vibe).

One visit and you will see a man dedicated to making the customer feel welcome, the employees feel valued, and coffee drinks served to perfection. (Yes, they do serve coffee, in addition to a healthy dose of “third place” spirit)!

There are many places that talk about community and making a great “third place,” but when one stands out, I thought you might like to know about it.

Many people from all around the country (and the world) visit The Gardens Mall. If you are one of them, please visit Jeremy and let him know that you appreciate a place with such a good atmosphere. One visit and you will know why I think that Jeremy has found the Third Place Success Formula!

Tags: Enjoy, Relax, Think

Too Much Office, Not Enough Cafe

There exists a delicate balance in life: office time vs. cafe time.

I need time away from the office as much as I need time in the office (and by this I really am not talking about the amount of time, rather, just the need to get out of the office and into the cafe).

On the one hand, I have things that must be done in a particular place; for example, some of my work involves opening the mail and filing documents (and keeping them for a number of years). I don’t know about you, but this isn’t going to happen in a coffee shop.

On the other hand, bumping into someone that I haven’t seen in a while is most likely not going to happen in my office; especially not in my home office!

So there is that constant tension.

Unfortunately, this week the paperwork won. Remember the standardized or timed tests? How often did we hear, “Time’s up, please put your pencils down.” Well this week, nobody came to tell me to put my pencil down. And maybe somebody should have. At the very least, that somebody should have been me.

This week, I plan to be in the cafe more often. I plan to sit there to think of one new idea, refine an old idea, or bump into someone that I haven’t seen in a while. Marla talked about interruptions in her blog this week. Let’s just say that last week, I wasn’t there often enough to run the risk of being interrupted. And I’m afraid that I am the poorer because of it.

See you in the cafe.

Tags: Errands, Relax

Office Cafe at Starbucks Cafe

This was a beautiful sunny South Florida day. This afternoon, Marla and I spent some time downtown at CityPlace. We sat outside the Starbucks below the Harriet Himmel Theater, which is home to our church’s CityPlace Campus. People were leisurely walking back and forth, shopping, sipping on coffee, eating ice cream and watching the fountain dance to the music.

Today is Sunday, so I didn’t bring any work. But that doesn’t mean that my mind doesn’t wander to business once in a while. Today I thought about the new web server that I installed this week. In fact, OfficeCafe is running on that very server. It was a fun project. More on that another day.

Back to Starbucks. I can usually relax in this situation, and today was no different. But I am reminded that sometimes when I sit in such a place, I look around and think about the buildings around me, the businesses nearby and what improvements, if any, I would make. These thoughts lead me to think about my own businesses and what improvements that I could make today that would lead to a better business tomorrow. It is a good mental exercise. And to think, all I wanted was a cup of coffee! Could that cup of coffee really pay for itself? Even at these prices, it just might!

The thing is, it’s not always about the coffee. Sometimes, it’s about the place where you drink the coffee. We’re going to be talking about ways to mix the fun of the cafe with the productivity that can come from just being there. Won’t you join the conversation?

 

Tags: Enjoy, Relax, Think