Though most coffee house activity involves killing time, there are patrons involved in more “serious” activities. I observed people at the coffee house involve in such consequential activities as writing books, writing wills, paying bills, tutoring college students, and collecting data for research projects. As with time killing activities, however, the consequences of these more serious activities is interactional isolation, not third place conversation.
Like third places, patronage at the coffee hose is regular and one often recognizes other regulars. But regulars here rarely do more than make eye contact and nod to one another. Regularity of patronage at the coffee house does not lead to lasting third place interactions. One the contrary, as my paper makes clear, the overwhelming interactional activity taking place at the coffee house revolves around how not to become friendly with other regulars.