Tully's - 47th and the Ave

Today I made a prolonged visit to the Tully’s coffee shop located on 47th and the Ave. The whole set-up of this establishment seems to cater well to a culture which is obsessed with customization. Baristas take orders for coffee and tea beverages which are painfully detailed in their specifications. The variety of chair-table formations leaves no shortage of sitting choices to be sure. As it turns out, you can enjoy your coffee while sitting at a small, round table of normal height, at a long, broad table surrounded by many chairs, or nestled cozily in an arm chair by the gas fireplace. As I observe those who sitting in the coffee shop, what strikes me is the wide variety of reasons that people seem to be here. There are students who enjoy reading and studying in the caffeine-rich aroma and constant stream of music which Tully’s provides. There are friends and couples engaged in intimate conversation, to whom this place is merely a medium through which their relationship can be verbally expressed. There are those who seem to just want to read for pleasure and enjoy a cup of coffee anonymously. There is one man who sits reading a newspaper, muttering something to himself every so often in response to what he’s reading. I’ve even noticed several individuals who come in, get the customized beverage of their choice, and sit alone, perhaps deep in thought, perhaps merely enjoying the opportunity to zone out and people-watch.
Though it is true that Tully’s is, shamelessly, a commercial chain which probably reproduces close to the same store concept in each of its locations, it seems to create something unique in each of those locations (namely, the one where I sit at this very moment). Those sitting in this space have taken the standardized Tully’s product and shaped it into something which meets their individual and distinctive needs for the hour or two for which they remain here.