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Nov. 21st, 2005
Independent Coffeeshop Database
Nov. 21st, 2005 04:22 pmTo follow up on my most recent coffeeshop expedition--I've been wanting to find a good database for finding independent coffeeshops. My father's list is a great start for Seattle, made more entertaining/enlightening by the inclusion of his objective, five-point rating scale.
But I think it would be grander to develop a national database so that one can hunt down independent coffeeshops in all of the cities that one visits. My initial Google search for "independent coffeeshop database" was disappointing--it turned up a half-formed, rambling site. A further look, however, revealed Delocator.net, a site that will allow one to enter one's zip code to find local coffeeshops as well as note all of the competing Starbucks (for a sense of perspective on the ratio of local:mass-produced coffeeshops). The site appears to work reasonably well, although it relies on contributions from the public, which results in duplicates when readers don't bother to look through the places already listed. It also includes brief comments about all of the coffeeshops.
Here are some sample results:
Tempe near my house:
6 independent coffeeshops listed within 5 miles (+1 listed that has gone out of business, and 1 duplicate)
16 Starbucks in the same area
Somerville near Tufts:
41 cafes listed (too overwhelming to check for duplicates)
15 Starbucks in the same area
Seattle near my parents' house:
91 cafes listed
126 Starbuckses
Quite interesting, and in the case of my present locale, depressing. And that's why I can't follow in my father's footsteps (or would that be bike-tracks?) around here.
But I think it would be grander to develop a national database so that one can hunt down independent coffeeshops in all of the cities that one visits. My initial Google search for "independent coffeeshop database" was disappointing--it turned up a half-formed, rambling site. A further look, however, revealed Delocator.net, a site that will allow one to enter one's zip code to find local coffeeshops as well as note all of the competing Starbucks (for a sense of perspective on the ratio of local:mass-produced coffeeshops). The site appears to work reasonably well, although it relies on contributions from the public, which results in duplicates when readers don't bother to look through the places already listed. It also includes brief comments about all of the coffeeshops.
Here are some sample results:
Tempe near my house:
6 independent coffeeshops listed within 5 miles (+1 listed that has gone out of business, and 1 duplicate)
16 Starbucks in the same area
Somerville near Tufts:
41 cafes listed (too overwhelming to check for duplicates)
15 Starbucks in the same area
Seattle near my parents' house:
91 cafes listed
126 Starbuckses
Quite interesting, and in the case of my present locale, depressing. And that's why I can't follow in my father's footsteps (or would that be bike-tracks?) around here.
