Getting Retro at Rebecca's Coffee

Old fashion coffee shops stacked with broken furniture and ripped cushions and interesting people are one of those rare joys in life. Many of us are familiar with the corporate and cleanly scrubbed chain coffee shops that are on nearly every corner in any major city. Finding those that completely break the mode and are able to create a strong following are truly a gem.

Rebecca's is really that place. They do not have expensive furniture and just about everything looks like it came from a rummage sale. This is part of its charm and it attracts writers, poets, musicians, and the free spirited from just about every walk of life. They host live entertainment that draws in a large crowd who support local talent.

Located in the business district of South Park you will see how the quaint storefronts and artistic crowd meet together to create a neighborhood identity. This is the place where you find a blend of youthful talent mixed with high levels of optimism. It looks like it has been pulled out of the 50's.

You might want to check out some of their entertainment venues.
http://www.rebeccascoffeehouse.com/
3015 Juniper St, San Diego, CA 92104

(619) 284-3663

Green and Unique at Jungle Java

Coffee in a garden when you dwell in an urban setting is better than coffee just about any other imaginal place. Jungle Java offers more than your standard coffee shop options as they raise their value through providing a tropical environment with bubbling fountains and green potted plants. Its like sitting in the middle of a botanical garden without having to pay an entrance fee.

Coffee and tea can draw visitors but the quality of the offerings, the atmosphere, and their values make all the difference in encouraging people to come back.  Each aspect works together to create a total experience. Customers buy their coffee, sit among the foliage, and share like-minded perceptions of life.

Quality and Taste

Quality and taste are important if you desire to be a cut above your competition. If you are seeking the run of the mill gas station taste then simply brew at home. Coffee shops should focus on offering high quality favorites but also bringing the unique and novel to curious customers. It is an opportunity for customers to open up past their coffee comfort zone.

Atmosphere

Most coffee patrons that take the time to lounge do so because they desire to get out of the house and sit in a socially active environment. Crates, books, and lawn chairs determine the servicescape. Providing this garden atmosphere makes Jungle Java memorable and brandable different from its competitors..

Value System

Their value system is rooted in nature and they support their beliefs through recyclable cups and selling potted plants. Next to each garbage can is a recycling bin where patrons are encouraged to put their cups, plastics, and cans. Easy access recycling bins make all the difference between customer actions to put the products in the recycling bin or the trash can.

Jungle Java is unique in its atmosphere and offers a greenhouse theme. Sipping lattes in a garden while listening to the sound of a bubble fountain creates the difference for patrons. It is an open air concept that sells all the plants they have on display. Head over to Jungle Java and sit under the daytime air for a while before moving onto other activities near the beach.

Jungle Java

5047 Newport Ave,

Ocean Beach, CA 92107

Experiencing Unique Beach Culture at Pacific Bean Co

Pacific Bean Co. Company isn’t your largest, technologically advanced, or even the most upscale lounge but it does offer something many other shops don’t-a unique cultural brand. With an open air concept this small shop provides a street side view of beach events. Located at the entrance of Crystal Pier it is known for their Mochas and laid back beach crowd that appeals to Pacific Beach strollers. 

Large chain coffee shops can be found throughout shopping malls, neighborhoods, high traffic areas throughout the country. The trend has exploded in the past decade or so. However, as large chains become more popular the small coffee shop is able to provide a unique experience that appeals to a significant segment of the population. 

Large global brands can produce cultural heterogeneity with local cultures (Thompson & Arsel, 2004). As large chains using similar styles of coffee shop design it also helps consumers find additional interest in unique shops.  Small coffee shops can find a niche that helps separate their identity from other shops that keep their patrons coming back. 

Pacific Bean Coffee Co. is all about unique identity and is well known for its mochas, acai bowls, and large selection refreshments. Patrons will frequently leave their surf boards against the wall, order an iced coffee and then make their way back to the beach. You won’t find this type of flip flop, flowered waist wrap, and t-shirt culture in larger corporations.   

Pacific Bean Co. Company

https://www.facebook.com/PacificBeanCoffee

712 Garnet Ave,

San Diego,

CA 92109

Thompson, C. & Arsel, Z. (2004). The Starbucks brandscape and consumers’ (anticorporate) experiences of glocalization. Journal of Consumer Research, 31 (3).

 

The Little Fountain at Cabaret Cafe

Cabaret Café is a Mediterranean café and coffee shop that offers both light dishes and some of the best lattes in the area. Offering indoor or patio seating customers can find a place to sit. Plush seating or patio furniture style…the choice is yours. The atmosphere is laid back and comfortable. It follows a pattern of style that one would consider to have broad based appeal.

Reviews are strong and patrons appear to like the Mediterranean food, coffee, sandwiches, and smoothies. Based on online reviews the far majority of visitors indicate that they come back on a regular basis and engage in everything from conversation to reading. Patrons are scattered around the various types of tables and nooks. 

The patio also contains a simple fountain. It isn’t anything special but does offer a positive patio experience.  According to Kumar, et. al (2013) servicescapes improve upon the environmental psychology of customer perception and overall positive impressions of the establishment through affect, cognition, preference and behavioral outcomes. 

The purpose of simple fountains, plants, and other small figurines is to create positive feelings that can translate into return visits and long-tail purchases. Depending on the type and decor of the business these do not need to be expensive. Something akin to the one at Cabaret Café is fine. They only need to contribute to the overall landscape and encourage users to use and remember new space.

I have seen other types of stock fountains effectively fill space while adding to the environment. 

These could be bought for a few hundred dollars from your local lawn and garden store. They may not be amazing or grandeur but they effectively use those open walls well while creating soft environmental stimuli. It is a cost effective way to change you’re the environmental landscape.

Kumar, D. et. al. (2013). Conceptualising visual servicescape aesthetics: an application of environmental psychology. Marketing Review, 13 (4). 

Cabaret Cafe

3739 Adams Ave

San Diego, CA 92116

http://www.thecafecabaret.com/