Brother, can you spare a latte?

Photograph by Kathryn Amnott

THE BARISTA BAROMETER | Cheryl Lurie

How has the economic downturn affected business in local coffee shops? According to several general managers of the neighborhood’s mocha meccas, sales may not have increased dramatically, but the customer base has. More people now have the freedom to hang out on the street, even if they don’t necessarily have a lot of money to spend.

One thing is clear: The rules have changed as more and more office-spacers descend upon the cafe culture. Before you snap up your laptop and head out to set up camp at one of the neighborhood’s many coffee shops, consider this report from the front.