Coffee Culture in the Wedge

I want to preface by saying I am likely one of the least qualified people to speak to the coffee culture of our neighborhood (unless you believe expertise lives in the lay habits of those who enjoy the history of our built environment), in which case, I speak with authority. When I first moved to Minneapolis I had traveled with and read Robert Putnam’s magnum opus, Bowling Alone. In a throw-away line describing trends in the proliferation of community spaces, he ascribed a predilection for local coffee shops to Minneapolis. As someone who started drinking coffee at the age of 21 I took this as a cultural phenomenon of my new home that I was not yet privy to. With nearly four years of living in the Wedge under my belt, I now see what Putnam was getting at.

Our neighborhood is home to 16 establishments that could be called coffee-forward shops, including the Twin City’s oldest operating coffee shop, Uncommon Grounds. My selection methodology includes businesses whose main schtick is coffee located within or immediately on either side of the Wedge’s border streets. That is one shop for every 576 residents, a higher concentration than the leading US city when it comes to per capita shops, Seattle at one for every 730 residents. The majority of these shops are independently owned and operated.

Viewed through the lens of social capital (a la Putnam’s invocation) the glut of coffee shops in the Wedge is to be expected in a neighborhood where, according to the US Census, 52-55% of households live alone. Coffee houses are often cited as examples of third spaces, or areas that help to unify neighborhoods and provide space for neighbors to gather with fewer expectations than traditional restaurants. In the Wedge, coffee shops are far more than places to sip, they also offer a space to read, relax, chat, and argue. However, what I have portrayed as a benefit, could also be seen as a glut by others, who may argue that we have reached peak coffee shop. But, if historic trends are any sign, the opposite is true. The Wedge used to have even more houses of joe; Caribou, Plan B, Java Noire, Muddy Waters, Coffee Gallery, Dunn Brothers – the list goes on. Meaning…? Less than ideal temporal economic conditions aside, our neighborhood’s carrying capacity when it comes to coffee shops has plenty of room for all the nascent coffee house owners out there. If you have been dreaming of opening a shop of your own, just know that the Wedge has the appetite.