There was a examine that got here out lately in regards to the “aesthetic homogenization” of impartial espresso retailers. It was revealed lately within the semi-scholarly journal Metropolis, Tradition, and Society. We are saying “semi-scholarly” as a result of in our opinion the examine is horrible.
I’ll prevent the difficulty of studying it, although you may right here or in abstract kind through The Dialog right here. In brief: impartial espresso retailers, by which they imply third-wave/specialty cafes, tout themselves because the antithesis of the monolithic chains, like Starbucks, however someway all of them look alike. This declare is bolstered by a survey of consumers requested to image a particular specialty cafe after which choose among the design components in it.
The most typical response, I shit you not, was “Baristas or workers with tattoos or piercings,” at 66%. By no means thoughts the truth that individuals aren’t design components, however really I’m shocked to be taught the baristas, predominantly youthful and thus extra accepting of tattoos and piercings than older generations, have tattoos and piercings. Actually revelatory stuff right here. Think about dedicating your total life to learning such an earth-shaking and epochal information set.
Different astonishing revelations on this examine embody chalkboard signage, reclaimed wooden furnishings, native artwork, latte artwork, crops (?!), and uncovered brick.
It’s all unhealthy analysis primarily based on flawed premises to help, I’m guessing, a predetermined conclusion. However it does carry to gentle an fascinating, design-adjacent query within the specialty espresso world. And that’s: right here in 2026, what are some cues {that a} store goes to be high quality?
Specialty acolytes have used them for just about your complete 21st century to find out if a restaurant shared their fervency for espresso. However the cues have developed because the business has. The espresso machine was once a fairly simple inform. For those who noticed a Linea, you knew issues had been wanting up. Then it turned filter espresso preparation, ie pour-over. Different milk choices, specialty drinks, and so forth. Minimalism, clear white coloration palates, open areas, all of them signaled specialty sooner or later, earlier than being mega-conglomo-co-opted right into a wider design aesthetic with world tendencies (round right here we name these cafes Sprudge-lookin’).
So what’s the inform right here within the 12 months 2026? Or is it a mixture of issues? The selection of espresso machine is at all times an excellent begin, however possibly it’s a considerate number of roasters or a properly designed bag of espresso. Or a tea menu, which is troublesome to tug off in a caring approach and normally portends a substantial amount of take care of the opposite drinks being served.
However that’s why we’re placing it to you, the Sprudge reader, the individual is inclined to assume extra deeply about espresso than the typical client: what do you search for? What are the indicators {that a} store you’re visiting for the primary time goes to be good so that you can order your actual drink order and never the one you fall again on when issues are wanting dire? (All of us have these proper?)
We asking you to pontificate on what engenders hope of actually good espresso when visiting a restaurant. Shoot us a DM on Insta, electronic mail us, give us a name and depart a cheeky little voice message at 1-888-55-SPRUDGE. Certainly we will collectively crowdsource higher solutions than tattoos and beards, scholarly journal be damned.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Community and a workers author primarily based in Dallas. Learn extra Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
