Le Livre Café

As I enter the café I order an Iced Mocha and a Panini sandwich. While I wait for my food I pick out a booth to sit at which gives me a great vantage point to examine the environment. After my name is called I go pick up my food, sit down at the booth, I ready my pen and paper and begin to transcribe all that I see.

It is a peaceful Monday afternoon and the little café is fairly busy. The item that seems most popular among the customers is an iced tea. Over the intercom you can hear pop music playing in the background. The majority of the people in the café appear to be college students who are immersed in their technological world.  They have their laptops up and running, and alternate between their computer and their IPhone. A few of the students are busy working on assignments while others are checking the latest feeds on Facebook and Instagram.

One person who was an exception to the majority of student customers was Professor X. He was a slender, tall, bald man who wore glasses and seemed to be in his 50’s. He sat alone, busily typing on his computer and would occasionally take a sip of his coffee. He was very focused on his work and hardly ever looked up from his computer screen.

The style of clothing worn in the café is casual. For the males, ball caps, sneakers and graphic t-shirts seem to be popular to wear on a Monday afternoon. Except for Professor X, who wore a plaid, long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans. As for the females, many chose to wear their long hair down, with simple t-shirts, shorts, and a cute pair of flats.

As you look out from the café area you can see the remainder of the book store bustling with people who are getting their textbooks for the new school year. Once the student’s entered the store’s domain they appeared focused on their mission to get books and were not in a friendly mood. The customer service counter to the left of me was very busy with a long line of students waiting to purchase their books. The employees seemed overwhelmed and tried to make out a smile as each new customer piled their books one by one on the counter. However, the customer service counter to my right was not very busy.  The majority of people who enter the store come through the left side and as they walk in notice that everyone who is purchasing books goes to that counter. So the majority of the students would go upstairs, grab their textbooks, come back downstairs and purchase their books at the left service counter. Only three students, who entered, noticed the counter to the right side of the building and purchased their books there.

It was interesting to see the interaction among the customers. Whenever they made eye contact with another customer both would look away or down at their phones. Sadly, no one would smile to the other and say “Hi.” Everyone in the store was quiet and kept to themselves. Even in the café area, the majority of people sat by themselves and listened to their own music. There was only one pair of girls who sat together in comfy chairs and were busy whispering about the local gossip and their personal boy drama, while searching the web for the latest fashion trends and Hollywood scoop. Occasionally, they would take breaks from their complex conversation by laughing or taking a sip of their iced teas. 

-SM