Observations From the Corner Booth

I met a client for breakfast at our “usual spot.” We worked and talked and lost track of time.  By the time she left, it was almost lunchtime.  And I had another meeting a couple hours later not far from the restaurant so just decided to stay and work rather than head back to the home office.

As a result, I saw the breakfast crowd evolve to the grab-a-coffee crowd on to the lunch crowd.  Some observations from my cozy spot in the corner booth:

• Other than my client and me, most patrons that were here during the breakfast time got straight to business and by the time their coffee was done, were wrapping up the meeting and heading off to their next destination.
• The mid-morning coffee crowd is definitely more leisurely. Not necessarily eavesdropping, but able to hear some conversations, this crowd tended to be a bit more social with each other. It is possible that business was being done, but it wasn’t as obvious.
• The restaurant personnel use this time to conduct their business – vendors, suppliers, and a small staff meeting before the lunch crowd.
• A sales manager met with several members of his team, every 30 minutes. The team had a chance to say hello to the person meeting right before them creating nice interactions.
• Business is top-of-mind with the lunch crowd, but given the atmosphere at this particular location, a fair amount of casual dining is taking place as well.

A couple reminders:

• Remember, we can hear you. So if you are going to conduct confidential business, perhaps a public space isn’t the right place for it.
• Use your inside quiet voice, especially if you are on the phone.

I knew a few folks here so took the time to say hello and will likely be setting up a time to get together, most likely a grab-a-coffee meeting. And if you’d like to meet to talk (quietly) about your public relations needs, let me know.  I’ll buy.