Are you the "type?"

Many, many years ago, when my knowledge of coffee shops was limited to being able to find a single coffee shop in Greensboro, I told a girlfriend I had gone to a local coffee shop to visit with another friend. She replied, "I didn't know you were the coffee shop type." Almost 20 years later, I'm still wondering what she meant by that. Since I eventually learned that she wasn't exactly a true friend, I'm assuming that her comment was not flattering.

However, in the last five years, I've begun to compile a composite of the "coffee shop type." I'll give it a shot ...

This morning, for example, I'm blogging in a local coffee shop that is full of children wearing sports gear and their parents. There are kids waiting in line to play a chess game. The kids have had a busy, active morning of athleticism, and are refueling their energy with snacks, hot chocolate, fruit smoothies, etc. It's noisy, chaotic, and I love it!!

Earlier this morning, the shop was humming with a small group of women who get together early, before their kids, husbands, and jobs pull them in many different directions. There was a steady flow of older customers, young adults, middle aged couples, shoppers on their way to or from their daily errands, folks on their way to work, and all of them just needing a customized caffeine drink and contact with a friendly barista before going on with their day.

Last night, there were so many local coffee shops hosting music, open mic, and other events that I couldn't even get them all on the blog's Events page. I logged into Facebook this morning and saw how many more events there are scheduled tonight than I could possibly hope to attend. Folk music, jazz, Christian music, blues, rock, you name it, somewhere in the Triad, it's at a Coffee Shop.

On weeknights, you'll find scrabble games, reading groups, poetry groups, foreign language groups, families coming in for a drink after soccer practice, couples getting coffee on their way home from evening church services, dads connecting one-on-one with their teenaged children. Some shops are perfect for quiet work, studying, reading, and quiet conversations with a friend or date, while others are a great place for meeting new, interesting people you wouldn't meet anywhere else.

Based on the overheard conversations, bulletin board postings, art work, board games, and lending libraries at Triad Coffee Shops, everyone in the Triad is "the coffee shop type." They might not know it yet, but they are!

We came, we saw, we feasted!

Mocha Mutt has a very kind friend who recently provided an excellent referral for a Triad Coffee Shop. Although coffee is not in the shop's name, it is definitely on the menu, and is the perfect accompaniment to the fantastic baked goods available - donuts, donut holes, bear claws, fritters, croissants, and other pastries. Mocha Mutt and Coffee Cat hit the road to Thomasville, North Carolina, and it was well worth the trip! Granny's Donuts and Sandwiches is a whirlwind of activity on both sides of the counter. Trays of donuts move quickly from the cooling trays to the hands of customers who stand in line for the delicacies. The line is sometimes long, but it is a noisy, joyful line of happy, friendly folks who know they are in for a sweet treat and a quick visit with friends, neighbors, and strangers who have a common goal - - a box of baked delights.

Like many other coffee shops, Granny's has free wi-fi and a great variety of iced and hot coffees, teas, and fruit-based drinks. After we "wolfed" down our donuts, we enjoyed hot tea and lattes and watching lots of customers come and go.

Lessons learned for coffee shop fans: break out of your normal routine and travel outside your hometown for a special treat, and when you find a local coffee shop with great drinks and food, tell your friends and neighbors about it so they can enjoy it, too!