Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
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continued from page 33 AN NALI SE R EI NHAR D T SIT & SIP WORLD CUP COFFEE & TEA gives patrons at Powell's City of Books a place to relax and recharge. made sense in shop's serene atmosphere. With the next-closest tea shop more than an hour away, tea was also a commodity the Robsons could carry exclusively in their small town. Knowing what kind of business they wanted to cultivate and picking a product they were passionate about helped the Robsons create a niche, and with a menu of 120 teas, Red Lodge is able to offer a diverse product that complements their existing space. "When people go into tea shops, they expect it to be calm, quiet, relaxing and soothing," says Gary. "That is much more in keeping with what we want in a bookstore." CREATING A HAVEN When Jane Turner opened Gertrude & Alice Bookstore Café in Bondi Beach, a popular seaside neighborhood in Sydney, her goal was to combine her two greatest loves: coffee and books. That enthusiasm is evident in her focus on providing the most comfortable café possible for a loyal customer base. "We created a quiet haven where the books are scattered everywhere and there are big comfy lounge chairs and great background music—it's sort of like your lounge room at home," says Turner, who named her shop after literary greats Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein. By creating a third place marked by a love of literature and crea34 Fresh Cup Magazine | freshcup.com ture comforts such as hearty food and wine, good coffee and inviting furniture, Turner has crafted a community-oriented space defined by a close-knit staff and consistent offerings (the shop is open 15 hours a day, seven days a week.) "We genuinely love our customers and work really hard at our service," says Turner. "We are like a big family. Our customers are an extension of that connection that we all have." Not only does combining bookstore with café create community by providing customers with a space for discussion and an opportunity to absorb knowledge amid their shopping, it also offers a venue to expand on that theme through author readings, poetry nights and other literary events. Or in the case of Gertrude & Alice, it provides a warm, steadfast respite from the outside world. MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL In bustling neighborhoods with ample foot traffic, a bookstore may see hundreds of customers a day. But once those eager shoppers have made their purchases, it's very unlikely they'll want to linger. Adding a café with comfortable seating and high-quality coffee and tea can help with the high rent that often comes with such a desirable location, by encouraging customers to stick