It's about self-care, not the coffee!

Let's talk coffee shops. 

The aroma and message coming from your local coffee shop is quite the study. The message patrons hear in these places of greatness has self-care written all over it. 

Fancy coffee is probably second only to the spa industry for prodigal spending. That people consider a massage or facial a self-indulgence is no argument. Manicures and Pedi’s too. Oh, what a feeling and no one cares too much about the price. Honestly, I’m still a little shy about the personal touch that goes with a massage or facial. I’m going to take a cue from my friend Norrell and call for an appointment soon though.

Do you remember when this coffee culture came to your town? Betcha heard a lot of people scoffing at that four-dollar cup of coffee. Betcha those same people were wishing they had bought stock in one of those big chains. Betcha if they started charging twenty dollars a cup people would find a way to afford it! Why? Because extravagant hot coffee is a wonderful message! What a great way to tell ourselves and others, “I’m totally taking care of myself and it feels awesome, no apologies”. If there’s a crowd, we get the benefit of feeling noticed, a sense of belonging, which also delivers that beloved shot of dopamine. To top this off, the probability of a bar fight breaking out is almost non-existent.

We have a unique coffee shop in our small town (don’t they all). The Local Brew. Find us on Facebook! Rushville IL. A real success. I am so surprised at the customer base. People I would never suspect show up and get their fix, happy as clams. I want to belong, so I sanction every Friday afternoon for a visit. Spiced Chai, two shots of vanilla, large, hot! The retail space for this venue is less than 150 square feet. Yet purveyors of happiness and belonging they are, and it shows! My wife buys the merch. You know, that term my kids taught me. Short for merchandise, these are the shirts, hoodies and insulated cups you can also purchase to heighten the sense of belonging! People are thirsty for much more than coffee. Thirsty for a group hug, basically. The Value Message here is: We appreciate you and you should appreciate you! “If you feel the same, leave a tip.”