OUR SPACE Copenhagen
May 2017
contents My Relationship with Coffee
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Welcome to my Home
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Discovered in this Issue
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Leave Your Thoughts
Back Cover
© Alena Nicholson
OUR SPACE May 2017
Let’s Begin , My relationship with coffee blossomed in high school, it was a staple to the rigorous days at my school. My life there required coffee. Tasks were stacked by the time the canons, at 7:30 am every day, woke up the pupils of Culver Academy. Make bed, empty trash, correct uniform, name tag, organized room, check in at breakfast (required), in classroom by 8:15 with finished assignments ready to be looked and spoken at, classes end by 3:15, meeting (most likely) or nap, sport by 4:15, dinner around 6:00, required homework time from 8:00-10:30, and lights out at 11:00.
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There is no doubt coffee is seen as fuel, it’s in the dining hall, office, break room, and in our hands on our way to work. But coffee has another talent to offer. Coffee has driven the creation of what we call the coffee shop, house, canteen, bar, room, or café. Beyond its power-esque functions, coffee sellers create a kind of space for us, and I don’t think we recognize that enough.
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I originally come from Chicago. Today, I study at Bath Spa University, in the most gorgeous city that I hold close to my heart, Bath, England. My transition from the USA to the UK, although sounds seemingly easy, was anything but smooth sailing.
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My first month in Bath was a rough one; I was constantly contemplating the idea of transferring back to the states, finishing first year then transferring, or trying to ride it out. The first two ideas were certainly more attractive at the time.
Feeling cooped up in my oh-so-European-spatiallyconservative room, I felt trapped and desperate to feel comfort, familiarity, and safeness. Since I could not completely find that in my room, I walked into town looking for answers. I happened to find it inside a coffee shop‌
And boy, I was thankful.
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Nowadays, I am surprised that people do not speak about this more often. These spaces offer inclusion to all who enter and they transpire worldwide. It’s time to begin talking about the idea of coffee shops being an extension of the home. Upon this realization, the world feels friendlier and a little bit smaller.
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At the moment, it is a silent community, but I beg you to consider. There is a collective consciousness within these spaces. Such places are designed to dwell, think, read, write, work, watch, and simply exist. Isn’t it amazing that in this day and age, we have places in which we do not have to perform? There is no one to impress because everyone is here for a break from acting, working, or operating. Everyone is here to just be (and enjoy a quality cup of coffee).
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I find inviting coffee shop culture all over the world, nestled in amazing neighborhoods tucked inside creative cities. I’d consider myself a modern coffee-shop flaneur, walking in and around these spaces, observing the nature and interactions of people, similarities and differences alike. The notion of coffee shops acting as an extension of the home has been a constant throughout my travels. How, when we have these amazing spaces sprinkled all over the world, do we fail to recognize the invitation? It’s time to feel these conceptions, make use of them, and pollinate this awareness.
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We l c o m
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e to My Home S k y l e r Row l a n d
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Welcome to my home. No, no, no – I forgot for a moment that I’m at work. Eleven years ago, I moved to Copenhagen to be together with my boyfriend. At the time, I was working as a personal fitness trainer and finding it hard to adapt to my new life in Europe. After living here almost a year, my accountant expressed his feelings about integrating into Copenhagen—he felt it was important that I began working around Danish people more, or more than I was as a personal trainer at least. One of his other clients owned a small café in the city, and he was able to get me a job interview. Keep in mind that I had never worked in a café or restaurant, but was willing to give a new opportunity a chance. I got the job and after a few months, I was managing the café. From the start, I was expressing to the owner how I felt that so many of the customers were not very friendly, and he told me to kick out the unpleasant people—focus on the nice ones. And so I did.
One day, about a year later, I was approached about opening my own café in the front house where I live. How could I say no? Three weeks later, Next Door Café was opening its doors. The café is a true extension of my home. My goal was to create an environment that made people feel relaxed and provide the feeling of being at home. To keep attracting enjoyable café goers, we have a sign hanging at the espresso machine that more or less sums things up. It says ‘Be Nice Or Leave’. That is our motto. It is the way we run the café and the way we aim to live our lives. Sixteen years ago, I realized that I needed make a decision for myself. When a job isn’t fun, you shouldn’t do it anymore. Everyday at Next Door Café is a party. We work hard, but have such an amazing time doing it. Each day is a new adventure—it allows us the opportunity to provide world-class service and meet interesting people from around the world. The Danes talk a lot about hygge, but it took an American to really make it happen in a coffee shop! What is hygge? The best way to describe it is “cozy”, and what’s more cozy than home? Sitting in Next Door Café, an extension of your home, while being surrounded by friends and loved ones. If you ever find yourself in Copenhagen, stop in for some coffee, cake, and a whole lot of love.
‘My goal was to create an environment that made people feel relaxed and provide the feeling of being at home.’
After five years of working for the café, I had grown the business to a point where he was able to open three more cafes. As the first café grew to a small chain of four, so did the owners’ perspectives on how to run the business. It was clear that we could not work together anymore – he was slowly sucking the spirit out of the café, and I needed to get out.
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discovered in this issue: Ne x t D o o r C a fe Lars b jø r ns s tr æd e 23, 14 5 3 Kø b enh a vn K, De nm a r k +45 27 12 0 8 18 w ww.nextd o o r c a fe.d k
C entr a l H o t e l o g Ca f é T ul l ins g a d e 1, 1618 Kø be n ha v n V, D e n ma r k +4 5 3 3 2 1 0 0 9 5 www.c entr a l h o t e l o g ca f e . dk
C o ffee F ir s t G am m el Ko ng evej 1, s t., 16 10 Kø b enh a vn V , Denm a r k +45 33 25 0 5 22 www.c o ffee- fir s t.d k
C o ffe e Colle ctive Go d th å b s vej 34 B , 20 0 0 F re de r i k s be r g , D e n ma r k +4 5 6 0 1 5 1 5 2 5 www.c o ffee co l l e ct i v e . dk
Ris ter iet St ud ies tr æ d e 36, 14 5 5 Kø b enh a vn K, Denm a r k +45 33 9 1 0 0 4 5 www.r is ter iet.d k
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Thoughts for the next reader?
Š Alena Nicholson