The Great Good Place

October 4, 2009 in observations

I noticed this poster for Starbucks in the subway a few weeks ago. It’s an overt reference to Ray Oldenburg’s concept of the “third place” from his 1989 classic The Great Good Place. Oldenburg was writing about those places between home and work that serve as anchors for the community. Cafes, pubs, bookstores, salons and other venues where people socialize.

Starbucks has always positioned themselves as a modern-day third place, but I’ve never seen it put so directly.