So, I decided to take more time this morning as I made my Starbucks run.
There was a bit of a line as I waited to place my order, so that gave me time to jot down a few observations and then I sat and drank my coffee (which I don't normally do) to look around a bit more. This is what I noticed.
This is what people were doing at Starbucks:
*Standing in line
*studying
*socializing
*working on a laptop
*chatting
The demographics of the people working at Starbucks probably influenced the people who were customers at Starbucks. The staff ranged in age from 30s to 60s (although I know someone in their 20s was not there--she is on vacation this week). The staff is also multi-cultural. The manager is hispanic, the baristas were white and black and hispanic.
As a result, the demographics of customers matched the staff. We had mothers with children (2 pairs); college students studying; a set of ministers; about 1/3 men and 2/3 women; and the ethnic make-up of the customers matched the staff almost to a tee.
There was calming but upbeat music playing in the background--it was not enough to be distracting, but enough to put you in a happy mood.
The store is small, so most folks get their drinks and leave. Most seating is table and chairs, but I managed to snag one of the two comfy chairs as I sat and drank and observed.
I think the manger, Tanya, sets the happy mood in the store because she knows people's names and they know hers. She greets folks by name and it makes them feel like it is their store. This morning, she even had my drink rung up (grande, nonfat mocha) and ordered before I got up to the front of the line. Now that is a way to bring folks back!
What do you think? What did you observe?
what i find most interesting is that the demographics of the staff matched the customers (or i guess i have it backwards) i would have thought that starbucks was filled with mostly college students... and thats it... but then again i hardly go into starbucks... i will be observing the amf bowling alley later tonite!~ lovas,...
ReplyDeleteanna*
I went into the coffee shop It's a Grind on Falls of Nexuses for my observation. I went to this coffee shop around 5pm and sat down for almost an hour drinking my coffee and observing the people in there. The staff ranged from early 20's to late 20's all of which were white. People were working on laptops, reading the paper, socializing, and playing on their phones. It was extremely quite inside the shop except for the mellow music softly playing in the back ground. I was kinda surprised at how quite and slow this place was. I worked at cup a Joe for many years and it was always busy and noisy. I believe this has a lot to do with what part of Raleigh it was in but non the less I found the people watching very interesting.
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ReplyDeleteI am seated toward the back of Third Place coffee shop at Five Points. While it is not packed, there is a lot of activity. The music is lively and somewhat loud, considering people are here to talk and read. The furniture is very bohemian and colorful (and might I add, very used!)
ReplyDeleteOne woman,white and in her 40's, is showing her artwork, which is on display in the cafe, to another patron. After discussing her work, they sit down to peruse her portfolio and the other woman, similar in age and race, is planning to buy one of her prints.
In another area of the cafe, there is a farily large group of women meeting and talking, for what reason, I am not sure. Their ages range from mid-20's to 40's, most of them white, with a few of different ethinicities (maybe one Hispanic, and two others with some Indian heritage??) There is a young girl (11?) at a table nearby (maybe a daughter of one of these women) who is playing on a laptop.
At other tables in the cafe, sit two to three people in conversation, men and women of varying ages but mostly in their late 20's to 30's and all white.
Everyone is dressed very casualy (even the barista) except for one gentleman sitting outside, who is wearing business attire.
As I write, two more gentlemen walk in who look over 50 years of age, one is white, the other black. It looks like both have come alone, like me. One of them sits and reads a newspaper, the other tries to converse with the barista and the man reading. Now, the artist tries to converse with both men.
This coffee shop is a lively place where people come to hang out, meet, and talk. In fact, everytime I am here, I am able to hear other's conversations and I have been approached by strangers in this cafe as well. In fact, I have spoken to this same artist on a previous visit. People come in groups here and spend hours in their living room type furniture and casual ambience.
so a couple nites ago i went to amf bowling alley with friends... and...
ReplyDeleteso the manager was kinda old, but the other staff seemed to be college aged. the people bowling varied (a little) in age but it was mostly college aged students {i found out from the manager that it was Central Bowling Nite sooo there you goo...} most of the bowlers were black with a few white people (there was one asian who was middle school aged and that was jay, my bestie's lil brother who came with us =)}. The manager was male and white while the two workers were black and female- oh there was another worker- like maintenance and he was latino.
the music was mostly current pop-dance mainstream music- i know it was mainstream because everything mainstream all sounds the same nowadays and i didn't recognize any of it.. i was constantly asking "who sings this?" and got answers like Lady gaga, kesha... there was some rap and rock but it was like 95%pop.... i guess this music works for a bowling alley cuz it got one of my friends dancing...
this amf bowling alley is a little smaller than the one in cary... the atmosphere was nice i guess...
yeayea that's it! =)
lovas,
anna*
I went to a Starbucks near Knightdale, and I went a little after lunch. When I arrived there were a couple of cars in the drive through. It was very relaxing and quiet. There was only a mother and daughter having coffee together and a man in his early 20s with his laptop doing homework or studying. A little while after I got my coffee another lady in her late 30’s came in. There were a couple of comfortable chairs and some wooden chairs with tables, and the music was upbeat.
ReplyDeleteChristina
What do you think? What did you observe?
ReplyDeleteI didnt get a chance to make it to a Starbucks, but I did stop and observe the Gloria Jean's coffee shop in Cary Towne Center Mall. As I was there waiting in line to order a pomegranate tea, I noticed that alot of the customers for this location were elderly and the staff consisted mainly of students and young adults. Unforunately my experience was not much of a great one. Upon entering the store I was not greeted in which for me is first and foremost upon entering into any store. If I am not greeted it actually makes me less inclined to even make a purchase because I don't feel as though my purchase would be appreciated, because of this I typically would just take my dollars else where. In the case of this assignment I waited in line long enough to order my tea and continue to observe that majority of the customers in this shop were seniors. The baristas upon reaching the counter were actually friendly just in my opinion to inexperienced to understand the importance of greeting all customers that enter through the doors. The energy within the store was also very dull. There were not many customers inside the store either. In my opinion because of the overall dull environment and lack of energy Gloria Jeans does not appeal or retain a broad conumer market. Because they exhibit such a dull and boring enviroment that is the clientelle they attract.