混在文青咖啡店的午後 / Spending an Afternoon at an Artsy Café

根據財經網站統計，30歲以下青年創業最熱門的選擇是咖啡店，我很可以理解年輕人的想法，首先，近年來，相較於茶，咖啡這種飲品非常受到年輕人歡迎，年輕人認為，泡茶好像是老一輩人的休閒活動，泡在咖啡店才潮，而開一間屬於自己的咖啡店，可以自己做老闆，又可以從事自己喜歡的事情，是很多年輕人的夢想，然而，現實往往打臉那些有夢想的年輕人，據說，不少開咖啡店的年輕老闆們，都賠慘了。

我知道，我身邊有幾位不太熟的朋友有開餐廳，不過，倒是沒有開咖啡店的朋友，而我最常去的咖啡店是星巴克連鎖店，不過，近來已經越來越少去了，因為星巴克飲品的價錢一直持續在調漲，而較便宜的選項，其實不少，不過，這次是跟朋友去一家，他去過很多次的文青咖啡店。

咖啡店在迪化街上最熱鬧的街區，永樂市場的對面，但是不仔細找的話，很容易就走過了，咖啡店位在二樓，招牌不太明顯，但很特別，和朋友直接上二樓，店內客人不多，座位佈置得蠻特別的，有兩人座、四人座、六人座等，部分空間規劃為雙人的獨立和室，可盤腿、可跪坐，還有少數的沙發座位區，而坐在吧檯高腳椅上，可以凝望街頭的來往人群，假如我一個人來的話，會選擇坐這裡，整體環境清幽舒適，窗明几淨，是個讓人會想待久一點的地方。

我點了一杯漂浮拿鐵，店家隨附一份茶點，朋友們點了飲料後，我們就開始談天說地，討論最近的出遊計畫，隨著時間逝去，店內的客人越來越多，座位幾乎都坐滿了，我注意到菜單上寫的限時90分鐘，但若無其他客人候位，則不限時間，所以，我開始感到越來越不自在了，但是朋友說，這家咖啡店基本上不會趕客人，叫我們放心繼續聊天，我是不確定這家文青咖啡店是否有賺錢，但是，像這樣注重顧客體驗的店，我是希望越多越好。

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According to financial websites, the most popular business choice for young entrepreneurs under 30 is opening a coffee shop. And honestly, I totally get it. In recent years, coffee has become way more popular than tea, especially among young people. A lot of them think making tea is more of an older generation’s thing, while chilling at a coffee shop is way cooler. Plus, owning a café means being your own boss and doing something you actually enjoy—it’s pretty much a dream for many young people. But reality often hits hard. I’ve heard that quite a few young café owners end up losing a lot of money.

I do know a few acquaintances who run restaurants, but none of them have opened a coffee shop. As for me, the coffee shop I visit the most is Starbucks, though I’ve been going less and less lately. Their prices just keep going up, and there are plenty of cheaper options out there. But this time, I went with a friend to a café that he’s been to many times before—it’s one of those artsy, indie-style cafés.

The café is located in the busiest area of Dihua Street, right across from Yongle Market. But if you’re not looking carefully, it’s easy to miss. It’s on the second floor, and the sign isn’t very obvious, but it has a unique design. My friend and I went straight up to the second floor, and when we walked in, there weren’t many customers. The seating was pretty interesting—there were two-person, four-person, and six-person tables. Some areas were set up like small private tatami rooms where you could sit cross-legged or kneel. There were also a few cozy sofa seats, and the high stools at the bar offered a great view of the street. If I were alone, I’d probably sit there and people-watch. Overall, the place had a quiet and relaxing atmosphere, with big windows letting in plenty of light—definitely the kind of spot where you’d want to stay for a while.

I ordered a floating latte, which came with a small tea snack. My friends got their drinks, and we started chatting about our upcoming trip. As time passed, more and more people came in, and before I knew it, almost all the seats were taken. I noticed that the menu mentioned a 90-minute time limit, but if there were no customers waiting, you could stay as long as you wanted. That made me feel a little uneasy, but my friend reassured me, saying this café doesn’t really rush people out. I have no idea if this artsy café is making good money, but I really hope more places like this exist—cafés that actually care about the customer experience.

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