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The Third Wave


I can’t remember who recommended that I check out the Columbia Reddit. I must thank them. This morning I happened upon quite the extended discussion about something I knew nothing about: Third Wave Coffee Shops. Here’s the link to the discussion:

No Third Wave Coffee Shops in Columbia makes me sad

So what is a Third Wave coffee shop? Thank goodness the original poster explained:

It’s basically coffee that has a very fine focus on quality, preparation and brewing.

The late 2000s/early 2010s make the start of the third wave when coffee went craft with a hyper-focus on quality primarily driven by coffee shops. the third wave of coffee is characterised by the shift in focus to the finer details of the coffee. it’s similar to how there’s “cheap wine” and “fine wine”. even down to that cheap wine is quite good even if it’s cheap, but fine wine sits on a level of its own.

it is a primarily more expensive trade which is definitely a privilege in many regards.

it evolved from a niche community that was highly focused on the quality and provenance of the coffee beans. where do the beans come from? what farm is growing and fermenting them? is it ethically sourced, fair trade, etc etc

It’s an interesting discussion of local coffee places - - what they do well and where they are lacking. This is definitely a crowd that values vegan options as well, I noticed. And, while some understand and are conversant with what meets the high standards of a Third Wave establishment, others are just as happy to discuss really good Mom and Pop coffee shops with good ambience along with a great cup of joe. The late and much lamented Anna’s is mentioned, reminding me how sad I am that I never made it over there.

Mad City comes in for the most extraneous gossip and all-round drubbing. It seems that everyone has a Mad City story. 

Towards the end someone pops on to post a link with the words, “coming soon!” It’s for a place called Qaffee House which will be opening in Columbia. Here’s what I could find online: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You’ll see that it’s not much to go on. I’d love to know exactly where in Columbia they’ll be located.

Another new place that came up was Diga Coffee Bar, which is a food truck. I found them on Facebook on the Howard County Eats page:

Good morning everyone! we are happy to announce that Diga Coffee Bar is ready to serve you. Come on down and check it out; join us for a delicious Panini, Waffles, Organic Polish Sausage or a fresh hot or Iced Latte , Cappuccino or Nitro Coffee today!

Location:

5840 Banneker Rd, Near Banneker Building, Columbia, MD 21044

Instagram @ diga.coffeebar

How about you? Are you a coffee fan or a Third Wave connoisseur? Grab and go or sit and linger? Let me know.


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