Music is an underappreciated aspect of the coffee shop experience. It can make or break your focus when studying or talking to friends. It can’t be too energetic, but you also don’t want it to put you to sleep.
I spent an hour after school in four coffee shops near M-A, listened to each café’s background music, and asked baristas about their role in selecting daily tunes. Here’s what I found.
Philz Coffee
Philz across from the Menlo Park Caltrain Station is one of the louder local coffee shop environments, primarily because of its echoey space. The music itself isn’t very loud, though, so it balances out the reverberating voices and coffee-making. Philz had a generally upbeat music selection during my time there and played a variety of genres.
Baristas Samuel Castillo and Madison Salas explained that the shop is limited to playing the company’s Pandora playlists, but baristas have freedom in terms of what genre they choose to play. “In the morning when it’s busier, we like something a little bit more upbeat, whereas in the afternoon, if we’re going through a slump, we play something a little more relaxed,” Salas said.
The hour started with some indie rock, featuring songs by Arctic Monkeys, Del Water Gap, and The Backseat Lovers. About 30 minutes into my study session, there was an abrupt shift to a more mainstream pop sound, starting with Ariana Grande’s “Break Free” and then Adele’s “Easy on Me.”
“It’s based on our mood, but we also want to incorporate the customer’s moods,” Castillo said.
“To be honest, it’s more for us than it really is for customers,” Salas said, explaining that the music they play can help them enjoy their shift.
Andytown Coffee Roasters
Andytown at Springline had a more unique listening experience, with my entire hour being filled from start to finish by only Daniel Caesar. While some may prefer more variety, I appreciated the consistency and was not mad at the selection.
Caesar’s silky and alluring vocals along with his mellow R&B production provided a nice backdrop for the sunny coffee shop.
The slower tempos of Caesar’s discography kept me from the stress that sometimes builds up after listening to high-energy music for a long period of time without boring me. Some artists have little diversity across their discographies, but Caesar’s versatility meant his songs never became boring within the hour.
Coffeebar
Coffeebar definitely had the most seasonal hour of music on this list. It wasn’t the popular sad-girl indie fall music; rather, the café played happier tunes, highlighting the more joyous parts of the transition from the end of summer into fall.
With well-known classics like Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” and ‘90s hits like The Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” the soundtrack was familiar and comforting. The recognizable melodies and artists made it easy to concentrate while working as the songs seemed to fade out of focus.
Coffeebar is one of the busiest study spots in downtown Menlo Park, and most people were wearing headphones and playing their own music. If only they’d taken off their headphones, they could have enjoyed some vintage fall classics.
Peet’s Coffee
My afternoon at Peet’s on the corner of Santa Cruz Avenue and University Drive primarily consisted of ‘70s songs. Featuring artists like Firefall and the Paul McCartney-led Wings, the groovy tracks were the perfect balance of upbeat and slow, creating an unexpectedly enjoyable study soundtrack.
The combination of the shop’s cozy, smaller space and the throwback music choice made for a more intimate atmosphere. There’s something nostalgic about old music, even when you’re not familiar with it.
In 2014, Peet’s partnered with Pandora to create a Peet’s radio station that can be played in the brand’s retail locations. “They made multiple playlists that we can pick from,” barista Lilly Nielsen said.
“There’s been a lot of Chappell Roan playing recently. Lots of indie music, Hozier, stuff like that,” she said. While there seems to be a mix of trending hits and older classics at Peet’s depending on the playlist, the soundtrack helps reflect the comforting, indie coffee shop vibe.
