Couth Buzzard Books & Espresso Buono Cafe

Today, I was thinking: What is the purpose of the new Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Cafe? Seattle--especially North Seattle--has amazing independent bookstores and coffee shops. Sure their numbers are decreasing, but many still survive.The addiction to conspicuous consumption that attracts many to Starbucks and Barnes and Noble also turns off a great many more community-oriented folks.
It seems to me that a typical independent bookstore or coffeehouse offers visitors an opportunity to come alone to read or with a small group of friends for quiet, undisturbed intellectual conversation. Public discussions and debates are really not part of the ambiance. The music smoothly wafts from the speakers to reinforces this privatized, public experience. Perhaps someone sits in a corner with laptop or pen composing deep-felt thoughts. The calm and quiet are so necessary in our quick-paced, don't think twice world.

But, we need--and I know need is a loaded word--something more too. And that is what I believe the new Couth Buzzard Espresso Buono Cafe offers. A public place to come together as a community; to discuss; learn; laugh; hear different music; and, yes, even to disagree. Openly, in good spirit, one book, one cup at a time.

This Public Openness is nothing new. In fact it all goes back to those original coffee houses in 18th Century England. Coffee houses sprung up during the rapid rise of Industrialization; a place to meet after a hard days labor. They called them Penny Universities. (Not related to Penny, our great Cafe Manager!!!) Following is a long quotation from an article by J. Pelzer, called The English Coffee Houses.

Instead of paying for drinks, people in the eighteenth century were charged a mere penny to enter a coffee house. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of other customers, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and news ‘reporters.’ These reporters were called "runners" and they went around the coffee houses announcing the latest news, like we might hear on the radio today. Before television advertisements and bulletin boards, people visited coffee houses to hear about the newest developments and business ideas.

One of the most unusual aspects of this environment was the eclectic groups of people that ran into each other at a coffee house. In a society that placed such importance on class and economical status, the coffee houses were unique because the patrons were people of all levels. For example, a merchant could converse with a prominent businessman. Anyone with a penny could come inside. Students from the university’s also frequented coffee houses, often spending more time at the shops then at school. It is easy to imagine the wide range of ideas that were produced as a result of this intermingling of people. The term “Penny University” is often used in reference to the eighteenth century coffee houses because of this reason. Coffee houses encouraged open thought and gathering of community. This environment, which was so conducive to intellectual discovery, could almost be called a school of social learning. To some people this was probably more of a school then rigid classrooms where people could not step out of a particular social role.(End of Quote.)

Well there you have it. How far have we evolved--or is it devolved?--from public places like the Penny University? In our small way,we are striving to reestablish that community discourse. We are open to your comments and suggestions on how we can best achieve this at the Couth Buzzard Espresso Buono.