The Importance of Third Places like Austin's Coffee

They say every time the sun comes down, another place in Downtown Orlando closes its doors. Slight exaggeration, but the worrying trend of third places and social circles disappearing in the Downtown area can be tied to the ongoing decline in quality, safety, walkability, variety, and overall satisfaction of Metro Orlando. Remove social options, and you’re removing safety guardrails.

And it doesn’t have to be this way.

Downtown Orlando has been dying a slow miserable death for several years now because of a mix of rising competition (on the other side of Orlando, Disney Springs nets 50k-80k visitors a day), uninspired extreme capitalism that hates options that are free to consumers, generational consequences of inequality, and an insistence by local politicians to make Downtown just another giant suburb for upper and upper middle class Floridians. In order to achieve the transformation towards a “family-friendly” environment, third places and late-night hangouts are being sacrificed. Gone are the downtown bars, nightclubs, hangouts, post-game crawls, and open spaces where personalities collide. Downtown Orlando used to have so much life during the Church Street Station days, and so much of that energy is just gone.

There have been arguments about how the socializing, drinking and clubbing culture has changed over the years; but that doesn’t change the fact that if you cannot deliver third places for teenagers, college kids, and young adults to spend time at, then there will be trouble that emerges from the boredom and lack of options. It doesn’t have to be just bars and clubs, you can do jazz cafes, artistic locales, indoor sporting places, art galleries, museums, movie theaters, and the list can stretch pretty far if you’re creative and motivated enough.

Which brings us to Austin’s Coffee, an ongoing tale of a third place that was almost a victim to Central Florida’s rapid growth.

Austin’s Coffee has been a staple of the late-night Winter Park scene for a very long time. Located in a corner building right off of Fairbanks, this spot had been a beacon of creative artists and performers, as the coffee shop transforms at night into a popular third place for those seeking some late-night entertainment along with a drink. The menu is simple but varied, with a mix of coffees and beers along with sandwiches and pastries. But its primary appeal are the nighttime events and nice artistic fanbase that occupies the setting constantly.

But we nearly lost them. We nearly lost it all.

The building housing Austin’s Coffee also happened to be in a section of Winter Park well-known for congested traffic and it reached a point where the city bought the entire region to mercifully expand the vehicular traffic space and potentially expand the nearby park that already exists adjacent to the location. This meant, all the businesses located within the radius of territory that had been purchased needed to move. Of course, this would not be an issue if not for the current ugly realities related to Florida real estate and the uncertainty that surrounds having to move a popular venue in a good location.

One of the biggest tragedies related to local Central Florida businesses in my opinion was the fate of Cloak and Blasters, another place that used to be a grand third place, in this case a spot for board game and RPG enthusiasts. Initially existing in the bustling Waterford Lakes, this popular hybrid of gaming and dining moved closer to UCF but in a more hidden strip mall plaza and with an interior that was nowhere near as themed or as comforting as the Waterford spot. The move was proven to be a disaster as the venue shut down without putting much of a fight. In the case of Cloak, it wasn’t an actual forced move (although rumors were the landlords made life tricky), but with changes comes the uncertainty of what the new locale can/cannot offer. With Austin’s being forced to move, can it truly deliver the same vibes as before?

Luckily for Austin’s, they managed to find another spot on the same street and in the same city. Just one mile away, now the coffee shop is closer to Interstate 4, albeit sacrificing its closeness to the popular Downtown Winter Park but having more room to work with, and also a better parking lot. Their late-night schedule hasn’t changed, their menu is basically intact, and they’ve even expanded their hours to being 24/7 like in the older days before economic and pandemic shenanigans.

During my two visits to their current iteration, I didn’t notice much of a shift at all, which is a plus for anyone that enjoyed Austin’s Coffee in the OG spot. Their service is still great, the fair-trade coffee still hits, local ingredients are still being used, and you still see plenty of books, games, and late-night entertainment options lined up. The venue feels like it’s still a work in progress, as the air conditioning was having problems and the space wasn’t being utilized in its entirety…yet.

Even if their coffee ended up being mediocre (which once again, it’s not), the importance of this place cannot be understated. The United States as a whole is very much lacking in social options, lacking in the necessary socializing that allows for a culture to survive and thrive. As someone who has traveled to both rural Illinois and New York City, there’s a clear reason why NYC has the energy that entices people to move there---and why so many end up leaving most of the Midwest.

They almost always have a full schedule. Never a dull week at Austins

Austin’s Coffee is not just a staple of Central Florida; it’s an important institution and an important example of the kinds of places we need in urban cores and downtowns like the dying one in Orlando. With the country being more and more difficult and expensive, especially when it comes to concerts and sporting events, we need the low-key spots to offer opportunities for people to gather and socialize. Austin’s success can be tied to the food, but the socializing and constant stream of entertainment and sharing of different forms of art elevates it into something truly special.

We need more third places, more social spaces, more places to share, view, experience, and create art. We need more community, especially in a world full of sinister forces trying to keep us divided.

To be blunt, we need more Austins, and I’m happy they are still around and thriving.