Mochavino Opens in Downtown Madison Saturday

I get the scoop straight from my wife's Facebook status: Mochavino, Madison's renamed and revamped downtown coffee house, reopens tomorrow (Saturday, March 20)!

I shouldn't be excited about this. I don't drink coffee. I don't drink wine. But Erin does... and we both love third places. We're glad to have a third place reopening on Madison's Main Street. Expect Madison's bohemians and artistes to be out in full force.

Mochavino: come sip, come chat, come see and be seen. Or plunk your coffee down in front of your computer and send the first tweet from Mochavino. (I haven't heard for sure, but co-owner Shaun Bader is a computer guy: they've got to have Wi-Fi, right? ;-) )

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Update 2010.03.20: Third places may be taking first place in Madison: the Madison Area Arts Council just announced its new "Third Place Nights" project! Once a month, come write, paint, sculpt, knit, and otherwise art-ify, philosophize, and socialize with your creative neighbors!

Mochavino Opens Soon; My Wife Gets Scoop on Local Biz

Guess who's got the scoop on Madison's newest business? It's not the paid media—it's my lovely wife, Erin Heidelberger. She uses that Internet-thingy to interview Mochavino owner Jenny Bader online. Their conversation, plus some really cool links on third places and small-town economic development, appears on Erin's blog, Prairie Roots.

Erin gives us our first verbal look at what Mochavino will bring: new sandwich menu, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, wine, maybe even some of Shaun Bader's homebrew beer. Add live music, maybe organize Madison's first downtown poetry slam... I just might be spending more time downtown.

Jenny says they hope to open "just after the middle of March." Hey—middle of March is tomorrow at noon! Finish painting and open those doors, Jenny and Shaun!

Third Places: Key Component of Rural Community Development

Mike Knutson at Reimagine Rural posts a great summary of why "third places" are essential to rural community development. Third places—you know, the coffee shop, the café, the counter at Madison's NAPA store (?)... the place in town where folks gather and swap stories and people-watch. The place that feels like your whole town's living room. The public space outside your home, outside work, where you are free to claim a seat, be seen, and connect with your community.

The kind of space to which our Chamber of Commerce and LAIC have paid little attention in their quest to make Madison better. Julie, Dwaine, Jenny and Shaun Bader, everybody else with a stake in making small towns better, read Mike's list of what third places can do for Madison, Howard, and all small towns:

1. Third places are cool…and rural places could stand a little cool.
2. Third places introduce new people to the community.
3. Third Places improve the quality of life in a community.
4. Third Places are good for tourism.
5. Third places can help improve the business climate in your small town.
6. Third places stimulate creativity.
7. Third Places help people age in place.
8. Third Places can help create jobs. (Jobs, Dwaine! Jobs!!!)
9. Third Places will never be replaced by social networking sites like Facebook.
10. Third Places help build conversation …. and conversation leads to trust.

Brilliant! Read Mike's explanations on each of these points, then come out swinging for third places in your town!

p.s.: Jenny and Shaun, as you get ready to enter the third-place business with Mochavino, Mike and I recommend you read some Ray Oldenburg.