Celebrating the Third Place: Inspiring Stories About the Great Good Places at the Heart of Our Communities

Through the chess set, free entertainment, a magazine stand, and a variety of community events, we make a conscious effort to send out the message to our customers that they are welcome.

These seating configurations allow people to be private, to be in the middle of things, or on the periphery.

New Urbanism movement.

“There are no strangers here, just friends who haven’t met,”

We have discovered that our attitudes are transparent and have a very powerful effect on the feel and impression of the business and physical space.

Pike Street in Seattle, or Granville Island in Canada,

When you walk through the door, you are likely to see one of the groups that use the facility. Reading discussion groups, writing groups, children’s story hour groups, Toastmasters, and others regularly meet in the hundred-seat Horizon Shine Café at no charge.

That commitment to community impressed me, and made me more committed.”

Annie’s signs are community bulletin board, political soapbox, Zen center, pun-of-the-week poster, and awards banquet rolled into one.

We are unpretentious and warm, playful and upbeat. We know our customers and care about them.