As young, urban professionals, many of us frequent independently owned cafes that pride themselves on ethically sourced beverages, strong local ties, and a hip aesthetic. However, researchers have noticed a pattern: many US coffee shops share a similar aesthetic, featuring elements like exposed brick, chalkboards, and vintage furniture.

The Homogenization of Coffee Shops

A study asked over 100 American and Canadian young professionals to share an interior image of their favorite independent coffee shop and describe why they liked the shop’s appearance. The results showed a fascinating overlap in design elements, with two-thirds of the participants’ favorite local coffee shops having staff with tattoos or piercings, and over half having baristas with beards.

The study also found that participants were unable to correctly identify the city where the coffee shops were located, even when shown images of shops in cities with unique architectural and aesthetic qualities like Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Toronto.

The Role of Social Media and Finance

New Yorker cultural critic Kyle Chayka attributes the aesthetic homogenization to popular social media platforms like Instagram, which promote visuals that users are most likely to engage with. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle where coffee shop owners try to replicate the same visuals in their own establishments. Additionally, finance plays a role, as banks often ask aspiring coffee shop owners to opt for cheaper interior design choices that appeal to the broadest customer base.

Ultimately, the pursuit of authenticity and uniqueness has led to a carefully curated conformity, where independent coffee shops have become indistinguishable from one another.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.