Q: Could cafes cash-in on co-op card? A: Currently, inconclusive.

Today after lunch at a seafood restaurant close to where I work, I went over to the nearest cafe and bought a tall, iced, soy mocha with caramel minus whipped cream (that’s quite a mouthful, why don’t they name it after me and make it easier on everyone?). Most cafes around town have some kind of card they hand-initial or hole-punch with each purchase towards getting a discount or free item when completed. I never bother with these, because their numbers become rank and fill-up my (decidedly lean) wallet. I realize these cards are meant to promote customer loyalty and increase repeat business for stores and restaurants, but they’ve always been more trouble than they’re worth for me.

My bright idea was, how about a city-wide (or regional, to be ambitious) card that’s good at numerous cafes, regardless of who owns them? Participating locations would validate and honor the card and make sporting one feel more valuable. It could be like a cafe co-op card which promotes cafe culture (or something). They would have to combine resources in an as-yet-to-be-determined, decentralized way, as I’m not imagining a monolithic system, just one that isn’t so divisive but truly usable to the cardholder. The trouble is, most places see everyone else as a competitor, rather than all working towards a common end (such as being a part of a shared lifestyle or community experience). I drink coffee once every couple of months, so I may not be the ideal user for such a card.

But network thinking, that’s what I’m after.