Growing up during the Starbucks boom, coffee shops were absolutely a place to hang out after school. There was probably one a short walk or drive from school, and for less than $5 you could grab a sugary drink or a pastry and hang out in a comfortable indoor space with a few friends. Heck, one of your friends probably worked there. It worked great for high schoolers because there wasn’t any alcohol (so minors could be there), you didn’t have to be as quiet as a library, and you could head there regardless of the weather. COVID has probably changed a lot of that as coffee shops focus more on drive throughs and mobile orders, not to mention inflation.
It can certainly offer you the opportunity to spend money, but it doesn’t have to make money from every person.
Card shops are sometimes an example. Church. Coffee shops (but who hangs out there?)
Walkable villages would help a lot. Car brain is hurting our kids and teenagers.
Growing up during the Starbucks boom, coffee shops were absolutely a place to hang out after school. There was probably one a short walk or drive from school, and for less than $5 you could grab a sugary drink or a pastry and hang out in a comfortable indoor space with a few friends. Heck, one of your friends probably worked there. It worked great for high schoolers because there wasn’t any alcohol (so minors could be there), you didn’t have to be as quiet as a library, and you could head there regardless of the weather. COVID has probably changed a lot of that as coffee shops focus more on drive throughs and mobile orders, not to mention inflation.
I honestly hadn’t thought about card shops as third spaces, but they absolutely can be. Also libraries, book stores, etc.