Imagine walking into your local cafe for your iced coffee and breakfast sandwich. Instead of it being how you last remember it — with the typical sounds of coffee machines, clinking dishes and occasional chatter, and the sound of music and laughter filling the shop as people dance and network.
This is the plan at AM:FM Coffee Cocktails Vinyl on April 18 as Coffee Party Roc will host its second daytime gathering in the space — reflecting the shift in the post-pandemic economy where wellness, connection and in-person experiences are taking on greater value.
Moving with this new era, known as “soft clubbing,” Coffee Party Roc is designed to be an alternative to traditional nightlife.
What is soft clubbing?
Soft clubbing is reshaping how people gather. According to DivaDance, soft clubbing is a wellness-focused, Gen-Z-led nightlife trend that shifts away from alcohol-fueled nights and replaces them with daytime, community-driven social experiences.
Some examples of these type of events are sauna raves, cold-plunge socials and coffee-led DJ sets.
According to Gallup, 54% of U.S. adults say they consume alcohol; it is the lowest level recorded in the organization’s 90-year trend. According to the same data, most Americans believe moderate alcohol consumption is bad for one’s health.
Based on Eventbrite’s reports, there has been a 92% increase in sober-curious events.
In addition, traditional nightlife has become more expensive, pushing many to look for experiences that offer the same energy without the high costs. Simultaneously, in a world where social media and online life is ever-present, people are searching for in-person interaction.
As more people seek social spaces that feel welcoming, flexible and intentional, Coffee Party Roc wanted to create a space for locals to participate in daytime events like the ones happening across the world.
“We’d been seeing events like this in New York, Miami, London — this daytime, music-forward, come-as-you-are energy — and we kept thinking, why doesn’t Rochester have this,” said Gizem Koçak, founder of Coffee Party Roc.
About the event
The event is free and open to the public. Starting at 10 a.m., guests can stop by AM:FM to grab a coffee, other refreshments, listen to music from local DJs, meet fellow creatives and experience an atmosphere built for both conversation and celebration.
The event will feature specialty coffee, cocktails, nonalcoholic beverages and a brunch menu from its scratch kitchen as three local DJs will perform back-to-back sets — helping create space for a daytime dance scene.
Whether someone is sober, hungry, curious or looking for a new way to experience the city, Coffee Party Roc is shaped to be a spot where people can show up as they are.
“Rochester has an incredibly creative and collaborative community — full of interesting people doing some really cool things, and they don’t have many daytime spaces to show up and connect,” said Koçak. “We’re trying to create that space.”
Event details
Date: April 18
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: 45 Euclid St., Rochester
Coffee Party Roc also has additional events planned for May 23 and June 20.
— As a Rochester native, Justice Marbury entered the world of journalism to create work where voices like hers were heard — the voices of minority communities. Marbury covers small businesses, neighborhood concerns, and the interesting people who live in Rochester’s 19th Ward. As the 19th Ward reporter, she has helped implement community outreach ideas by asking what people in various communities want to read about themselves in addition to regular news. Contact her on Instagram @justice_marbury and by email at jmarbury@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Daytime ‘soft clubbing’ brings music and coffee to Rochester cafe
Reporting by Justice Marbury, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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