Very few things make me as happy as nesting in coffee shop. I love the process of creating an idealistic to-do list, rounding up my laptop and headphones, and setting off for a day of productivity. Detroit is developing a great coffee culture with handful of standout coffee shop Downtown, Midtown, and West Village. After being to 7 coffee shops, I’ve finally settled on my favorite: The Roasting Plant. The Roasting Plant has great coffee and the Javabot is very entertaining; but more importantly, it’s an inclusive space. I spent a few hours at The Roasting Plant this Saturday and every table had a person from a different walk of life; a young suburbanite family, homeless men chatting, and GM engineers. I wouldn’t have noticed the diversity of people prior to having completed Challenge #1 with MACC Development. In working with the team tasked to consult on the interior design of The Commons, Coffee Shop & Laundromat,  I became aware of the interior “cues” that welcome certain people to a space, while excluding others. The Roasting Plant has a very straight forward layout: the door opens to a seating area with simple tables that lead directly to the counter where you order and pay. The menu is also straight forward; no cortado, or coded size options in sight. This is in direct contrast to other coffee shops in Detroit (West Village I’m looking at you) where tattoos are pre-requisite and you need google to figure out your order. At the Roasting Plant, the simplicity of the decor and menu signal to patrons that they do not need to be part of a specific popular culture or status to belong. This is something to be deeply appreciated in a city that is already divide along so many racial, economic, and physical barriers. I will continue to go to the Roasting Plant: I’ll have a coffee, hold the exclusivity.