As we have learned extensively in class and from readings about coffee commodity chains in Latin America, and the impact of coffee to the history of Costa Rica, it can be determined that coffee is a very essential part of Costa Rican society. This week we explored Cost Rica's public coffee spaces, to try to understand its place and role in Costa Rican society.
The public coffee place that I visited is called Kaldi, a site very popular among Elon students. Although it is not specifically a coffee shop, it is one of the commodities that is popular among locals and Elon students. The layout of the room is restaurant styled as that is its main function, however the tables where people sit are small and close together, providing an intimate experience for those who come here. There is gentle music that is being played from built in speakers, but it is soft, in a way promoting conversation. The design of the room and the color of the furniture that is present provide a warm, almost house like feel. While I was doing the observation, I was the only person in the room by myself. The people who were at the cafe were in groups with friends or spouses.
In general the focus of the sitting or coffee drinking area at the Kaldi is not simply for drinking coffee. The atmosphere that is provided encourages people to sit down, enjoy the coffee (usually a specialty with creams and other toppings) for a while. As Kaldi is also located in a suburb, Kaldi can also be seen as meeting place more than a simple coffee shop. Based on these observations the public coffee culture is not as big as in the United States, and is actually quite small. During my observation time which was about 30 mins, no one came in and bought coffee to go. The majority of people who ordered foods sat down and ate it in the restaurant.
This compared to US coffee culture is different from Costa Rica in that there is a lot more emphasis on coffee to go or for the road, than on sitting with friends and enjoying conversation. Although people meet and spend time in coffee shops in the US, because coffee has become such a commercialized commodity that emphasis or time spent is not a focus. In the U.S for example, because coffee has been so heavily advertised as an energy source, people go to the shops, and if they stay they choose to do work and academic studies because it is near to the energy source. This is clearly not the norm in Costa Rica. During my observation time, the only person who took out books to do anywork was myself. People who come to the shop only come to meet with friends and family.
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