Café Tribes: A Typology of Café Customers

Abstract

Cafés are becoming a key aspect in the renaissance of urban living. They are often the key element in the gentrification of urban neighbourhoods, and their role as the ‘third place’ is becoming fundamental to many people’s lives. They are where people go to socialize, sip coffee and watch the world go by. Several studies have considered this phenomenon, often linking the renaissance of café culture to their former role, in their perceived ‘heyday’, as locations of development of political and philosophical ideas. In this chapter, we explore the growth of the small, independent cafés which are becoming the homes of micro-communities and where a range of social interchange take place, as well as the consumption of food and beverage.

From our research, adopting the role of flaneurs to observe and experience the atmosphere of a number of independent cafés, we identify and classify some of these micro-communities by identifying the bonds that hold them together. The essential feature underlying the success of these independent cafés is much more than the food and beverage, it is also the environment, a place where customers feel comfortable socializing in an active or, in many cases, passive, way – for example, drinking coffee and reading the paper in a comfortable environment.

We also observe that many independent cafés have a loyal following which compose their regular customers. We have referred to these micro-communities as ‘tribes’. From our observations, it appears that they are growing and that for many in society they are becoming an important part of daily life.

Citation

Egan, H., Elsmore, I. and Egan, D. (2022), "Café Tribes: A Typology of Café Customers", Tabari, S. and Chen, W. (Ed.) Global Strategic Management in the Service Industry: A Perspective of the New Era, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 153-162. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-081-920221012