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Hot take: the regulars at my corner cafe in Portland don't know each other's names and that's fine
I keep seeing people say a good cafe should feel like a family, and I just don't buy it. I've been going to the same spot on Alberta St for about 14 months now, almost every weekday around 8am, and there's a guy who always takes the window seat and reads a paper, a woman who does crosswords, and a barista named Rosa who knows my order. In all that time, the window guy and the crossword woman have never once introduced themselves, and I think that's kind of the point. They nod, they share the outlet, one of them will hand over the spare chair without a word, but nobody is asking what anybody does for work. I counted it out and there are maybe 9 of us in this quiet little orbit and none of us are friends, which sounds sad written down but it isn't. It's a room where you don't have to perform or make small talk, and honestly I'd take that over forced buddy vibes any morning. Am I alone in thinking a cafe can be a good spot without it being a social club?
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