Foodie archaeology
Groundwork Coffee unearths a cultural relic: The downtown location right around the corner has instituted a frequent drink card. Oh-em-gee, how wired are we!
Since Groundwork is not one to shy away from the latest technology—this particular branch was one of the first coffee shops to get a Clover—the card is a snazzy plastic thing that looks more like a gift card and will be monitored electronically. The barista swipes the card through for every visit, and the 11th drink (as large and tricked out as your opportunistic heart desires) is fine-friggedy-free! The frequent buyer program also applies to Groundwork's fantastic microroasted beans.
It's been a while since we’ve seen the endangered species in the coffee world. Back in the middle-Starbucks era, competitors lured clientele with printed cardstock and hole punches. The tides turned when Coffee Bean summarily ceased its program, citing problems with petty counterfeiters—and people still kept showing up! Wow, you would think caffeine’s a drug.
The discontinuation came without warning—no personal phone call or e-mail, nothing. That was a really sad day for me as I was left holding a beautifully filigreed, but completely obsolete pink card. (Yeah, I was saving it for a “rainy day”—don’t tell me you didn’t do it either. Johnny Drama feels our pain.)
Here’s a little blast from the past: while I couldn’t dig up that historical Coffee Bean card, I found these antiques at the back of my desk drawer.
—Jiyeon Yoo