As desire for single-origin coffees spread, shops would sell 10 or even 20 different coffees. With only two or three brewed coffees for sale, café goers wouldn’t be able to sample most of the offerings

It’s the same logic that powers Erewhon, or Soho House, or influencer-run startups. You’re not paying for the thing. You’re paying for the removal of difficulty . The filtered lighting. The social cachet. The sense that this world still makes sense!

“The U.S. coffee scene has always been a mirror of national character” —

The bottomless diner cup reflected abundance and openness. Starbucks reflected globalization and the craving for experience. Third wave reflected craft and discernment. Luckin reflects something else entirely: the relentless pursuit of efficiency in a city that already runs on

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In an in-depth investigation for The Guardian, Chayka documents how the AirSpace style of interior decor has become the dominant design style of coffee shops:

“Go to Shoreditch Grind, near a roundabout in the middle of London’s hipster district. It’s a coffee shop with rough-hewn wooden tables, plentiful sunlight from wide windows, and austere... See more