A Third Place

Off and on I have been reading a book by (I've forgotten the author's name) about Starbucks and their operating philosophy.  One of their principles is that of making each Starbucks location a "third" place.  In other words, a place where you like and want to go to hang out or relax.  The other two places are work and home!

In Edenton, NC we don't have a Starbucks (we are too small for the coffee house giant!) however, we do have Edenton Coffee!  Edenton Coffee has become a third place for a lot of the locals.  It is located on Broad St (the main street through town) and you can walk in and get a good cup of coffee including mochas, lattes and all the other fancy coffee drinks.  Home made pastries are sold as well as coffee varieties, cups, shirts, hats, etc.  Chairs and tables are outside as well as in and the newspaper is sold for 50 cent just a few steps away.

On any given day you will find people sitting outside sipping their favorite java drink or congregating inside with laptops and cell phones conversing (sometimes quite loudly -those are fun conversations!) or working or pretending to do a little of both!  

But what makes Edenton Coffee truly a third place, at least in my opinion, is that it is also a place for local artists to display their talent.  Inside are several booths where artists hang their pictures and paintings.  Nothing is more enjoyable or better for a mid afternoon work break to refresh your thinking than walking through the coffee shop looking at what someone is trying to communicate via their artist medium while sipping on your ice coffee.

If you get the opportunity to come and visit Edenton, NC be sure to stop by our "third" place while you're here!