Great Idea #5: Short Story Cafes

I love those cafes that have books shelved on the walls. These are normally the type of cafes that have mismatched chairs and old, over or under-stuffed couches with springs that poke into you. But that's ok- it just means you don't feel bad if you put your feet on the furniture.

Sometimes, if I'm in a cafe alone, I like to pick up a book and browse it. But realistically, one can't commit to a novel over a latte. There's just not enough reading time in a standard cup. But how can you satiate your literary hunger when you're wanting something a little more substantial than your standard trash mag fare?

Some cafes will stock zines (short, personal, handmade magazines), which is fantastic. Zines are great, because they don't demand commitment and often have interesting pictures and short quirky pieces you can read through on the fly. More cafes should have zines. And pay the zine-writers! Zinesters normally work for the love of their art.

Another often under-represented class of writer is the short-story writer, and this is where a beautiful union could occur with cafes. Cafes could commission short story writers to submit pieces, and then have them bound into short story collections to adorn the cafe shelves. Perfect cappucino froth browsing!

But a cafe needn't commit to such expense as publishing and binding. Maybe a short story could be placed on or around tables, perhaps inside the menu, framed at eye level, or slotted into a plastic menu stand. It'd give a unique, friendly vibe to the cafe, allow for stories to be on high rotation, and would mean that even when you get stuck with the crummy table in the back corner by the kitchen door, you can still delight in the personal touch of a new story to keep you company.