Each year, I make a “coffee list.” Essentially, it’s 12-15 people I really want to have coffee with this year.

It’s not an expansive list. Most years, I have coffee with upwards of 75+ people. But, as we all know, 2020 is not a typical year. That said, I have had coffee with six people on my 2020 list so far! Some pre-COVID (Kelsey Dodson-Smith, Megan Tuttle, Sofia Horvath) and one post-COVID (Laura King).

I still have some work to do, but, I’m not going to let COVID stop me from “seeing” people!

So, as of July, I’m implementing a hybrid approach. A mix of virtual coffees and socially-distanced coffees.

The virtual coffees speak for themselves. They’ll be on Zoom. They won’t be ideal. They won’t be as fun as the real thing. But, the way I see it, they’ll be a door opener to a “real person” coffee in 2021 (when, hopefully, this is all over).

At the same time, I am going to try to actually see some people–given they are also up to the task!

Just one problem: My go-to, home-court coffee hangout (my two local Starbucks’ here in So Mpls) are not open for indoor OR outdoor seating!

So, time to punt. I’ve heard the following coffee spots have outdoor seating–and I’ll be using them for my coffee home bases until we all come back online (or, winter freezes us out!).

• Common Roots Cafe, Uptown. A bit of a hike for me, but fairly central to all.
• Fireroast Cafe, Longfellow. 10 minutes from my home. Wonderful little patio. I hope the coffee’s good!
• Sister Sludge Coffee Cafe. Used to be just a stone’s throw from my house here in the Hale/Page neighborhood, but new location has a much better outdoor seating area.
• French Meadow Cafe, Uptown. Close to Common Roots. Nice patio. Good coffee. Could be a go-to spot.

So, there you have it. Game plan drawn up! Now, I realize I may have to modify my list–after all, people working from home in Woodbury may be a little reticent to drive 20 miles for a cup of coffee. That said, I’m probably only looking at one coffee per week during COVID (versus the 2 to sometimes 3 I was doing pre-COVID).

I also may cut the coffee meetings down in length–I’m thinking 30-45 mins max, to conserve on time (still got a day job to do!).

I’m also going to give special credence to those looking for a job. We all know times are tough and many in our industry are out of work. So, I’m here to do my part. May not be a long meeting. May not be in-person all the time. But, I’m here to do what I can.

Now I guess there’s only one question left to ask: What kind of coffee are you drinking?