The document describes an observation lab assignment where the author visited 6 different coffee shops in their neighborhood representing different cultures like Italy, the US, China, Venezuela, Africa, and Vietnam. They provide insights on how the coffee shops showcase aspects of the cultures through their storefronts, music, customers, and atmosphere. The author was surprised by some of their findings like the large number of ethnic coffee shops in the area and how busy one tea cafe was.

2. Observation Lab Assignment
• I live in Silicon Valley, a big melting pot !
• How about to observe the culture
differences from the coffee shops !
• I carefully selected shops representing
different cultures
Café Venetia Peet’s
Ola’s Exotic Coffee
Coupa Cafe
Fantasia
Aroma Coffee

3. Coffee shops around the world
Café Venetia
Peet’s Fantasia
Coupa Cafe
Aroma Coffee
Ola’s Exotic Coffee

4. Italy
USA
Taiwan/China
Venezuela Africa
Vietnam

5. So uncle sam!

6. Ohh, Venice
So Artsy!

7. So Playful, upbeat, happy!

8. Feel like I am in China
Asian Coffee
houses are similar.
Mostly Asian
customers.

9. Ola’s closed when I visited 
Very colorful!

10. Insights
• Coffee shops definitely showcase culture
Pictures worth thousands of words… but here are some:
– Store front, furniture, store arrangement
– Employees
– Atmosphere
• Why Chinese coffee shops/restaurant are noisier?
– Music
• I wish I know more about Venezuela music to tell whether
Coupa Café is playing “local” music
• Visiting coffee shops can learn culture
– Chat with owners and employees

11. Surprises
• Found so many ethnic coffee shops in my own
neighborhood
– Didn’t know we have an Africa community
• Fantasia Tea Café business is sooo good…
– Continuous line around the corner during entire
half hour I was there.
• Piece of trivia found during research:
– World Values Survey has consistently shown
Venezuelans to be among the happiest people in the
world
– hmm, maybe I should go to Coupa café more often

12. Hidden Opportunities
• Coffee shops are adopting technologies
– WiFi in most places
– Google wallet in a few places
– OrderAhead at one place
– Twitter…
– My next new technology? 
• Help organize meetups and study groups?
– Coupa café has a perfect separate room and large table
– Extra credit for projectors and white boards….

13. Epilogue
6 coffee houses in one day, I am high!