Presence

Peninah and I lunched at Cocoaccino's yesterday, they've launched their food menu, which includes soup (looks like one flavor a day, yesterday was French Onion), a salad bar reminiscent of 921, bagels ($1.50 for a bagel with cream cheese), sandwiches (ranging from $4 to $9) and eggs/omelettes. We both got salads, which were very generously apportioned, and split a three-cheese (cheddar, feta and mozzarella) grilled cheese sandwich on 12-grain bread. Quite good. The other side of The Atrium is now set up with tables for Cocoaccino's patrons, with a little isle in the middle for those getting their nails done to pass through (rumors have been heard that the owners of The Atrium would like to develop a kosher food court).

I asked the owner about free wifi, and he told me that they are thinking about it, but are concerned that some folks will come and buy one cup of coffee and sit for three hours. I told him I thought that would be a good thing. Wouldn't you like to have someone come everyday and sit for three hours, and buy a cup of coffee every day, rather than coming only when they drive by or feel like it? How many people are going to be there between the hours of 9 and 12 anyhow? If I could get free wifi, I'd go every morning, buy a hot chocolate and bagel with cream cheese and work for 1-2 hours. That's about $60 over the course of a month from one person; even if I go half that, if you have two people who do that, you've covered your Internet costs and then some. I'd probably also have meetings there now and again, which would be a fully-expensed meal (meaning I won't be skimping on salad toppings). Without wifi, I'll go there for lunch occasionally, order the cheapest salad with no extra toppings, and split a sandwich with my wife (or better yet, not tell her I'm going).