Being a huge coffee fan and café enthusiast, I have spent a lot of time in coffee shops of all varieties. I have visited nearly all of the big names on several occasions but, when the venue choice is mine, I will always opt for an independent café over a chain. Here are just 10 reasons why I believe that we should all do our best to support local and self-standing coffee shops – partly for their benefit, but mainly for ours…
1. Better quality coffee
Local coffee shops are far more likely to provide tastier coffee as it’s a necessity if they want to stay in business. Big names with hundreds of branches are often rushed off their feet and don’t attach much importance at all to each coffee they knock out. Furthermore, it will not affect their income if one customer receives a bitter cappuccino and decides never to come again. However, independent cafés often use better quality coffee beans, take more time over each coffee they carefully craft (often adorned with elegant latte art), and are more willing to personalise their drinks to suit customers’ tastes.
2. Better quality food
Independent cafés offer food on a completely different level to any Starbucks, Costa, or Nero. Their snacks and lunches taste so much better and are far fresher from any pre-packaged, preservative-heavy sandwich or cake that you can buy from chains.
Baked goods are often made on the day and dishes can be easily amended to suit your tastes and dietary requirements as they are only put together after you make your order, not days or weeks in advance. Furthermore, local coffee shops are more likely to offer unique products and flavour combinations rather than the boring and safe snacks offered by big names to appeal to the mass market.
3. Supporting the local economy
By visiting independent coffee shops near to where you live, you will also be supporting the local economy. Any money spent in your local area will likely stay there and go towards improving that town, rather than being spent elsewhere as is the case with chains. Furthermore, independent cafés are usually more supportive of the community and will, for instance, donate a proportion of their earnings to local charities, or display local artwork for sale upon their walls.
4. More character
Mismatched mugs, a variety of chairs, the odd wall hanging … each independent coffee shop has its own quirky and unique style. The experience of visiting a distinctive café with a different décor and ambience to any other you’ve been in is far more fulfilling and interesting than just stepping into another Costa: a mere replica of the rest. Furthermore, you’re more likely to come across a café that suits your tastes and really makes you feel at home, rather than just making do with the style found in every single Nero.
5. Relaxed atmosphere
In general, small and locally-based cafés have a far more relaxed atmosphere than coffee shops belonging to big names. There’s usually less of a rush, a calmer and more friendly service, and the setting itself is often more cosy and homely than the huge blank rooms of chains. Staff are also more likely to remember you and your typical order, so sometimes you’re even spared the effort of naming a drink.
6. Your opinion matters
In an independent café, your feedback really gets listened to and taken on board. Any complaints or suggestions for improvement that you may have can be directed straight to the manager who is often working behind the counter, and your ideas are far more influential than any you may scrawl down upon a comment card lying around in Nero.
7. They sell your city really well
Taking friends and family to your local independent cafés is a great way of proving to them how great the city you live in truly is. Individual coffee shops give a long-lasting impression and provide memorable experiences, and you can sit smugly with your flat white while they gaze around, deeply impressed.
8. Independent cafés are easy to find
Whereas big chains often occupy the prime places in towns and cities and thus are spotted sooner, there is always an independent coffee shop around the corner. It’s well worth taking a bit of time to track one of these down and, with services such as Google and TripAdvisor, they can be located in just seconds.
9. Good value for money
Although at times local cafés can cost more due to their small base of income and the quality of their services, a lot of independent coffee shops are in fact very reasonably priced. Big chains attach ridiculous price tags even to their smallest sized drinks, not to mention their extravagant hot chocolates and Monin coffee syrups, and their branches at service stations are simply extortionate. However, independent cafés are usually fairly priced and, even if their costs do sometimes match the big names, the product you’re purchasing is generally of a far higher quality and never more than you can afford.
10. Entertainment and unique events
Whereas chains simply deliver food and drinks, independent cafés often provide a wide range of entertainment. From art events and live music to Taco popups at Flat White in Durham, local coffee shops offer far more exciting experiences than the everyday coffee and cake. Independent cafés are a lot more flexible and usually welcome big groups with open arms, often hiring out whole tables or the entire venue for parties and celebratory meetings.
Last year’s Her Campus Christmas brunch at Velvet Elvis
Next time you fancy nipping into town for a coffee, why not support a local independent café? You won’t regret reaping the benefits of the higher quality service they have to offer.