In today’s increasingly insular, digital world, where the Gig Economy has led to a large segment of the workforce to produce in isolation, there’s much discussion about the third place; a place to congregate or socialize, separate from the office (where less and less people seem to go) and home (where most people now keep an office).
While it’s not new to think of it as a third place, the coffee shop–for many freelancers, creatives, etc.–holds a unique position as not only a place to interact with others (a third place). Coffee shops are increasingly a destination where people feel that they are at their most productive (a second place, if you will). The fact that I’m writing this from the bar of Bold Bean Coffee Roaster’s Jacksonville Beach shop should only serve to punctuate that proposed narrative.
Bold Bean’s led the third-wave coffee charge in Northeast Florida for those who want to get charged up on high-quality, artisanal coffee. They’ve opened three storefronts and their wholesale business is flourishing. If any coffee is ubiquitous in Northeast Florida, it’s Bold Bean’s. Meanwhile, with the Gig Economy in full-swing, Bold Bean’s three shops are, in effect, co-work spaces, hosting meetings, brainstorming sessions, and sometimes even the fruition of an innovative new idea.
We talked to Erin Lee, Bold Bean’s longest-tenured employee and current Wholesale Accounts Manager, and asked her about the role coffee shops and great coffee play in defining a region.
Does a great region need great coffee shops? Why or why or not?
I’m confused by the question, but I’ll say this: I believe every region deserves a space where all people feel welcome to congregate. I believe that great coffee is a catalyst for great ideas. I believe access to both of these things is crucial to social and economic progress.
Relatedly, can you have too many coffee shops?
There’s so much to address in this, but the short of the long is: yes and no. In pursuing any business, I think you have to start with “why.” In our case, there weren’t any quality-driven specialty coffee shops or community hubs in Jacksonville, outside of the bar scene, at the time. I think if you’re pursuing roasting, you have to bring something to the cupping table that other roasters are not. As far as coffee shops, as a whole, if any one region can support the survival of the number of shops within, there probably aren’t too many.
Out West, people tend to like coffee that is more bitter. In the Northeast, the trend is more citrus-y. Is there a North Florida coffee palate?
I think for any region, it really all comes down to individual experiences and associations. This is one of the reasons why it was always so crucial for us to serve people with warmth and excitement. Great coffee is not only a product; it’s an experience. It’s not this abstract thing that can only truly be enjoyed by “coffee professionals.” I believe great coffee starts with a passionate barista. With that said, I think the North Florida palate is built on the collective passion that North Florida baristas exude about the coffee(s) that they’re serving.
OK, hypothetical, here: Pretentious baristas are visiting Northeast Florida. They have brought beans of their own, from outside of the 904, and are unwilling to try any coffee roasted here. You must convince them that the 904’s coffee is worth trying. You have two sentences to do so!
Every single roaster in the United States is getting coffee from the same coffee-growing regions. Get your head out of your a**! Or, an alternate second sentence: When you go home and tell your friends about Florida coffee, are you going to speak from a place of experience or ignorance?
If you had a magic wand and could use it to give the 904 one thing that it’s currently missing, what would that be?
Mountains.
Here are the complete results of our #1 in the 904: Drinks & Bars poll
Bar (Amelia Island, Fernandina)
Locals Cocktail
Bar (Jax)
Sidecar
Bar (St. Augustine)
Ice Plant
Bar (urban core)
Dos Gatos
Bartender
Greg Harbour
Beach Bar
Lemon Bar
Beer Selection
9ZeroPour
Cigar Bar
Island Girl
Coffee House
Bold Bean
Coffee Roaster
Martin Coffee Company
Craft Beer (not Brewery)
9ZeroPour
Craft Brewery
Southern Swells
Craft Brewery (New)
Reve
Craft Cocktail
Sidecar
Distillery
Manifest Distilling
Dive Bar (Amelia Island, Fernandina)
Hammerhead Beach Bar
Dive Bar (Jax)
Pete’s
Dive Bar (St. Augustine)
No Name Bar
Drink Bottled in the 904 (non-alcoholic)
Moonbooch
Growler Fill Up Spot
Brewz
Happy Hour
Locals Cocktail
Hookah Lounge
Casbah
Irish Pub
Culhane’s
Liquor Store
Riverside Liquors
Margarita
Flying Iguana
Martini
Ocean 60
Milkshake
M Shack
Rooftop Bar
River and Post
Smoothie
Smoothie King
Sports Bar
Time Out
St. Augustine Party Spot
Dos Gatos
Wine Selection
Royal Palm Village Wine & Tapas
