One More Thing For Apple Stores: Food?

mattnyc99 writes "Esquire raises an interesting question on iPhone 5 day: What if Apple stores had cafes? From an analyst cited in the article: 'In line with the Genius Bar concept, I could see them taking a part of the store and making it a café atmosphere where customers could interact with technology in a relaxed environment.'"

$ per square foot

[OzPeter]

From a stat I saw a few weeks ago (can't be bothered to look it up) , Apple already rakes in about double the $ per square foot it makes from its stores than the next highest retailer makes in their stores. So why would Apple want to change a winning formula?

We already have that

[ArhcAngel]

It's called Starbucks. Of course Apple doesn't own it so they would probably open iBucks and sue to have Starbucks shut down for stealing their look and feel.

Umm, except for one thing...

[Maury Markowitz]

I can barely get in the door of the Apple Store in the ones I've visited in Toronto and Ottawa. They need more crowding, why?

This is a seriously stupid idea.

Yet another stupid idea

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

There is an Apple store not far from where I work. I go past it from time to time, have brought a few products in for service, and even made a purchase or two in the store.
You know what stands out about the Apple store?
It is ALWAYS full of people. Why would they give up valuable floor space currently used to display products, to try to sell coffee? To bring in customers? They do not seem to have a problem with that.

Yet another stupid idea by someone who has never run a business.

NFC?

[vlm]

76 comments and no one, not even the original article, has commented on this is the perfect way to roll out a near field communications micropayment function in the next iphone?

NFC / micropayments / all that rot all have the chicken and the egg problem. But if you knew you could at least buy a cuppa coffee at any Apple store with it... maybe if Apple didn't sell the coffee itself but got some established coffee shop to move in as part of a deal ALL of that chain's coffee shops would accept the new NFC micropayments thingy... I think we're on to something here, for the intro of NFC payment.

At least around here, Apple stores are in big malls, with lots of foot traffic, which certainly pushes the NFC concept into other stores.... I can buy a cuppa coffee at the apple store, why not every food court vendor... why not buy a shirt at old navy... I think we're on to something here, for the NFC midgame/growth phase...