The Transformation of the Church Café
I’ll never forget the first time I walked into my local church and found a full-fledged coffee bar with a massive cappuccino machine. It was like stepping into a trendy coffeehouse, not your typical house of worship. As I sauntered down the main aisle, latte in hand, I couldn’t help but wonder – what on earth was going on?
Are we that addicted to caffeine? Is this a sneaky way for the church to wring a few extra bucks out of our pockets? Or is there something deeper at play here? As I dove deeper into the world of church cafés, I discovered that the story is much more complex than a simple caffeine fix.
These spaces aren’t just about the coffee – they’ve become vital connection points for the congregation. After the service, my husband and I will often grab a big table and catch up with friends over a warm cup of joe. It’s where we make plans, share life updates, and cultivate those all-important community bonds. The barista – often a young volunteer – remembers my order and feels like a familiar face, reminding me that I’m seen and valued.
“Someone is showing up for you. Telling them they make your day better would probably be a big encouragement to them. Who are you showing up for? You probably make a big difference in their life even if they don’t know how to express that.”
These spaces aren’t just about the coffee – they’re about creating a sense of belonging, fostering authentic connections, and nurturing the spiritual life of the community. It’s a sacred space that happens to serve a mean hazelnut latte.
The Bookstore Café Conundrum
But the church café isn’t the only place where coffee and community collide. As I’ve explored the world of book-loving caffeine addicts, I’ve discovered a whole new realm of cozy, connective spaces – the bookstore café.
There’s something about the combination of books and coffee that just feels fetal, embryonic, and womb-like to me. The cavernous, multi-story bookstore with a café tucked inside creates a retreating space, a den where I can recharge my word-drunk brain with a bit of warmth and sustenance.
“The bookstore coffee shop is about the coffee, but it is also about the space. In a sprawling store, it offers a retreat, a sort of den apart from but still within range of the quavering presence of all the thinking, the writing, the recipes.”
I’ll never forget losing myself in the pages of a new book, sipping on a steaming cortado, while tourists and fellow bibliophiles drifted in and out around me. It was a delightful escape, a chance to kill time in the most productive way possible.
But alas, the pandemic has disrupted this cozy symbiosis in many places. The café at my local bookshop had to shutter its espresso machine and pastry counter, leaving me longing for that perfect blend of literary sustenance and caffeinated comfort.
The Quest for the Perfect Bookstore Café
So, where does one go to find that elusive bookstore-café nirvana? I’ve scoured the streets of New Mexico, hunting for the perfect fusion of books and brews.
At Collected Works Bookstore & Coffeehouse in Santa Fe, I found the closest approximation to my ideal – a sprawling store with a cozy café tucked inside, complete with comfy chairs and plenty of natural light streaming in from the windows. Pre-pandemic, it was the ultimate den for the word-drunk and caffeine-craving.
But when I visited recently, the café had scaled back its offerings, leaving me a bit disappointed. Still, the cavernous atmosphere and the busy street outside the windows evoked that sense of being within and without at the same time.
“The coffee shop at Collected Works is full of windows that open to a busy street, yet it somehow feels like a den. I want to stay and keep reading, but I also want coffee.”
My search continued, leading me to the newer Beastly Books in Santa Fe, which also houses a coffee counter. But here, the seating felt more like period props than cozy nooks for reading and sipping. The mask protocols left me feeling a bit unsure of my welcome.
Venture further afield, and you’ll find other bookstore-café hybrids, like the combination of Garcia Street Books and Downtown Subscription in Santa Fe, or the excellent Silver City Book Shop just a stone’s throw from Tranquilbuzz Coffee House. But none quite captured the womb-like atmosphere I was craving.
The Bookstore Café Within a Café
Just when I was about to give up on my quest, I stumbled upon a delightful discovery – the bookstore café within a café. At Montage Coffee and Wine in Los Ranchos, a tiny but beautifully curated micro-bookstore lurks within the depths of the coffee shop.
“What I did not expect was to find that the inverse of what I wanted could fulfill the same desires. At Montage Coffee and Wine in Los Ranchos, it is the bookstore – an outpost of Nob Hill’s Harvest Moon Books – that lurks in the depths of the coffee shop.”
Here, I found the perfect blend of books, coffee, and community. The friendly baristas, the vintage-inspired decor, the carefully selected book collection – it all combined to create a delightful and welcoming space that satisfied my craving for literary sustenance and caffeinated comfort.
And then there was the pavlova – a masterpiece of whipped cream, rose water, honey, and pistachio that delighted my senses in a way I didn’t know was possible. As I savored each bite, I couldn’t help but ponder the meeting of sorrows, the joining of human wildernesses that could produce such a transcendent experience.
“Putting into my mouth a bite of this pavlova, am I meeting the baker’s sorrow? I don’t know how to know that, but I can assert that the experience is one of delight, not mere pleasure.”
A Caffeine-Fueled Journey of Connection
As I’ve explored the world of church cafés and bookstore-café hybrids, I’ve discovered that coffee is so much more than just a caffeine fix. It’s a catalyst for connection, a bridge between the sacred and the secular, and a retreat from the bustling world.
Whether it’s the young barista who remembers my order or the fellow bookworm I meet in the café, these spaces are opportunities to show up for one another, to create a sense of belonging and community. They’re sacred spaces that just happen to serve a mean latte.
So, the next time you find yourself in a church café or a bookstore-café oasis, take a moment to look around, to connect, and to appreciate the power of a simple cup of coffee to bring us together. Because it’s not about the coffee – it’s about the connections we make, the communities we build, and the moments of delight we discover along the way.
