Mike McKim, owner of Cuvee Coffee’s East Sixth Street location in Austin, Texas, is a big fan of human interaction. That’s why the cafe doesn’t offer Wi-Fi.
No Wi-Fi?
“Coffee shops in the 17th century were places where people would go and talk and debate: it was a social hub,” McKim told the Austin Post.
He favors that approach, not the virtual office that most coffee shops have become. The shop is full of people on computers, but they’re also talking to each other and working on things other than Facebook or LinkedIn.
What happens when a customer comes in and is mad that they don’t have access to Wi-Fi? Tough luck. McKim says he is not against technology but his space is about fostering communication without it. Occasionally employees are rattled by customers who are angry about the lack of internet access and McKim has to calm them down, saying that the type of person who gets mad like that isn’t the kind of customer they want anyway.
The owner states that he is trying to promote communication and in-person human interactions, not make an anti-technology statement. Baristas have recently had to speak up when taking orders just to hear over the sounds of laughter and talking in the cafe.
In honor of the the first ever Black and Blue cold craft coffee served in a can, the cafe had a large blue mural painted in celebration. Take your Austin culinary school books to this internet-less cafe for some social media free (at least on your computer) homework time and grab a can of the newly available Black & Blue cold press. Bring your friends too. Who doesn’t like a good cup of joe?
Not the only one
The food industry is taking steps towards providing more intimate gatherings. From sourcing locally grown and raised ingredients and the farm-to-table approach to not providing internet or power outlets, foodies are learning to love closer-to-the-heart gatherings where the focus is on the the food and drinks and the present moment.
