I was a coffee house kid in high school. If you know me, that’s probably not much of a shock. I was as highly caffeinated then as I am now, plus a socially awkward academic and theater nerd, which meant I was about a thousand miles away from anyone who could get me a fake ID. Lucky for me, my little Minnesota suburb had quite a few spots that, in my opinion, put the iconic Central Perk to shame.
FYI–at least one of them is still there, and it’s still as hip as ever.
Places like this were a lifeline for kids like me. We felt cool and independent, but we were also in a safe place where we could hang out as long as we wanted without being looked at with suspicion. While that last part maybe wasn’t a big concern for me back then, as a parent and an adult with a social consciousness, I realize now just how important that was and continues to be. It makes the fact that we’re losing these places under the wheels of the corporate coffee empires all the more depressing.
That’s why, when I walked into Coffee N Rock for a book signing a few weeks back, I felt both immediately at home and like I might start crying.
Atmosphere
Despite being located in a southside Vegas strip mall, Coffee N Rock has an old-school coffee house feel. It reminds me a lot of the place I used to frequent in my late teens. It has a comfy thrown-together aesthetic that draws you in like your very own living room. I can honestly say, I’ve never walked into a place and craved to sit down and write something, but this one did it. The fact that I wasn’t there to do just that is nothing short of a crying shame.
It’s not just the look of the place that welcomes you. The people working behind the counter are some of the friendliest people I’ve met in this town. And remember, this is Vegas, the hospitality capital of the world. I don’t say things like that lightly. For a taste of what I’m talking about, check out their Instagram. It’s pretty cute.
Plus, because my signing happened to be in October, they had the place all decked out for Halloween. There is no better way to win me over than that.
Food and Drink
Normally, I never eat at signings. Maybe this is weird, but I’ve always felt uncomfortable eating in front of other people if they aren’t eating too. But this signing was at 9 a.m. and a 40-minute drive from my house, which left no time for breakfast beforehand. Still, knowing I would be having lunch right afterward, I went small and got a blueberry muffin with my latte.
What can I say? It was a blueberry muffin: sweet, fluffy, delicious. The latte was good too, but since I’m not a coffee snob, I can say that about pretty much any place. Again, what puts Coffee N Rock over the top is the service. They brought it to me when it was ready, and were very gracious and polite. Since I’m a person for whom one cup of coffee is pretty much the same as the next, the warmth and welcome of the experience is what I’m going to remember.
I didn’t get a picture of my actual meal, so please enjoy this image of the bakery case that, for obvious reasons, I had to take. And yes, I’m very aware that there is an opportunity for a terrible portmanteau here. One that, so help me, I am not going to say out loud.
Crowssant!!! It’s a crowssant.
Goddammit.
How Did The Writing…uh, Reading…I mean, Sales Go?
Before I answer that, I should explain my mental approach to events in general.
For big festivals that charge table fees, I need to outearn the cost of the table at least before I can begin to consider it a success. If I have to travel far enough that a plane and/or hotel stay becomes necessary, that complicates things further (which is why I’m not doing a lot of those yet, as you can see here).
However, for a local signing that only costs my time and the gas it takes to get to the place, here’s my thought: If I sell one book, it’s a success. If I can give away a business card or a bookmark, it’s still worth it. Why? Because it means I’ve had a personal interaction with a reader who lives in my town. Maybe I’ll never see them again. But maybe I will. Maybe they’ll love my stuff. They might even tell their friends about me, and then they’ll read my stuff too. And since they live here, maybe they’ll come to see me at other events I do around town. It’s entirely possible–if I lived in the same town as some of my favorite indie artists, I’d be following them all over the city. This is how you build a following, and it all starts with one sale.
Which is exactly how many sales I made at Coffee N Rock, to a nice young lady who likes supporting local authors (her words). Which, if you’re going to meet one person during a signing, that’s the one you want. The rest of the time I got to enjoy some coffee and baked goods and hang out with J.D. Neill, who has some of the most entertaining stories I’ve ever heard. Oh, and because there happened to be a partial eclipse happening, we (that’s me, J.D., and the staff) all took turns borrowing her special sunglasses to go sneak peeks.
So, yeah. Overall, a pretty fun morning!
Final Thoughts on Coffee N Rock
In terms of the signing itself, things were slow, to say the least. However, by my grading rubric of 1 sale=success, I call it a win. The food was good, the service was even better, and the atmosphere is a solid return to the coffee houses of ye olde late ’90s. I wish I didn’t live 40 minutes away because I’d love to be here all the time. So, if you are lucky enough to live nearby or are just looking for a cool place off the beaten path, skip the Starbucks and do Coffee N Rock instead.
Coffee N Rock is located at 1160 E Silverado Ranch Blvd in Las Vegas. For more information, visit https://coffeenrock.com/.
