Tuesday at Caribou

Today is newsletter day. I am sitting with my laptop at Caribou Coffee; six mile and Haggerty. I have my coffee, and I’m diving into my newsletter. Hopefully my work is finished before I head home.

There is something weird about this place. My coffee (some minty, mocha thing) is awesome. I also love the atmosphere here; the “lodge-like” setting makes me feel like I am back in the mountains of my childhood. Sweetening the experience, I even got a great deal on coffee beans to take home! Still, something’s just not right.

Every Thursday I keep “office hours” at Panera Bread; Schoolcraft and Middlebelt. I have frequented this Panera every week for about four months. As weird as it sounds, that Panera has become something of a home to me. Want proof? This past week I was greeted by name at the register...

As I walked inside Caribou today I was lost. There is a different menu here. Many more drinks to choose from; hardly anything to eat. It took me forever to order.

Not so at Panera. I have my routine down. Always a house coffee; sometimes a cherry pastry. I have my favorite booths. I know where the outlets are for my computer. I know Ashley, Sara and Ian behind the counter. That Panera has become “my” coffee shop.

Ever visit a church where things just felt different? The atmosphere was cooler, the worship more exciting? Ever think: “I wish my church could be more like their church?” Well, consider this: your church is just that - your church. Which holds greater meaning, a minty mocha, or a group of people who know you by name?

- DB