MYTHS AND RITUALS OF SILICON VALLEY: PHILZ COFFEE
MAGGIE BRUCK, MAX KILBERG, TAREK ABDELGHANY
Philz Coffee Story
Philz Coffee Origins
Phil Jaber was born in Palestine in 1968 (1). He became obsessed with coffee as a child because he was never allowed to have it while his older relatives used to sip it after every dinner (2). This story of Philz relationship with coffee has strong parallels to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Because Phil was deprived coffee at such a young age, he grew infatuated with it. Much like Eve, who eats the forbidden fruit because it’s out-of-reach-ness is just too intolerable for her to bare--Phil’s love for coffee stems from depravity. When his family moved to California when he was at a young Phil’s love for coffee became a hobby of his--he used to sell it on weekends at a local market--but never a career choice at first (3). For over 25 years Phil owned and operated the Gateway Liquor and Deli, while he would experiment making different coffee blends in the back during his spare time. His first blend, Tesora, took over seven years perfect in secret--and upon sharing it with friends, family, and customers--Phil received raving reviews that inspired him to open up his very own Philz Coffee store in the same location that his old deli used to be. 15 years later, Philz Coffee has 45 locations and is now under the operation of Phil’s son Jacob (2).
The Coffee Garage Startup
In addition to being centered in the heart of Silicon Valley, the story of Philz Coffee also embodies many of ideals contained within the start-up culture of the Bay Area. The garage myth, that all you need for a successful company is just a garage to start it in rings true for Philz. Philz was started in the same building that Jaber used to own his convenience store in. He did not need to go out and lease a fancy new building, but rather utilized a structure that was previously there. In that sense, he can be seen as a successful startup founder and an entrepreneur. In the years since its founding, Philz has expanded from its original shop into a highly profitable regional brand, under the direction of Phil’s son Jacob. Most recently it received a 45 million dollar series B from the venture capitalist firm SilverLake Partners to help create it into a national brand (4). Capitalizing on a trend known colloquially as the third wave of coffee, Philz business model and culture has allowed it to expand from a “garage startup” to a formidable player in the coffee industry. However, what differentiates it from other big industry players, such as Starbucks and Peet’s, is Philz ability to stay true to its’ roots. It seems that people simply feel comfortable there, in a way they don’t at other places. Whereas Starbucks has confusing drink names, Philz’s are fun and playful. The artwork inside stores reflects character and personality rather than uniformity and commercialism. It should be interesting to see if Philz can keep this persona going even as it expands beyond the Bay Area and into a national brand.
The Purpose: Community
When asked in the early days of Philz, what makes his coffee shop different, Jaber replied “I used to sit in coffee shop, people stiff, they don’t talk, they sitting at their table like a plant. I say that’s no fun. I want to put a big community table and put them together” (2). The idea behind Philz is that it is not only a coffee shop, but also a community with its own values and ideals. Instead of the layout of a Starbuck, where seating areas are only meant for one to two people at a maximum, the big communities tables of Philz foster community, collaboration, and all kinds of socialness. Phil wants his customers to get to know one another and form common ground based on their shared experience of Philz coffee. That is why there are so many crazy stories of people going to same Philz every day for years and years. It becomes almost a way of life for some people, closely paralleling the way religion also foster community. Although the big tables promote collaboration, one of Philz main ideals is still individuality and being oneself. Baristas and other workers are allowed to wear whatever they want in an effort to promote individualism and fight against the tendency of large companies to turn their workers into nothing more than a cog in the machine through wearing identical uniforms. For these reasons, Philz finds the rights balance between community and individuality in the same way modern day religion seems to stress the importance of taking part in community worship and practicing spirituality on your own.
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Is Philz a Religion?
Functionalist Reductionism:
To break down this term, functionalist is what religion does rather than its specific content and reductionism is the idea that religion is never on its own terms (6). Philz, for most people, is not about the coffee. It is about a warm, welcoming community in which a person can have a conversation with a friend, finish their homework, or interview for their next big internship. Philz is an expression of love and community, as Phil Jaber says “it’s more about being in the people business than the coffee business”.
Chidester's Model of the Curch and Fetish
Chidester deconstructs his model of the church into three parts-- the church, fetish, and potlatch (7). The church is an institution with a set of rules and apparent rituals. Philz Coffee shop is the church, their mission statement, “bettering people’s days”, acting as a set of rules of conduct and their unique ordering process being a ritual specific to the shop. The fetish is the coffee itself, Phil Jaber took over 25 years to perfect the perfect mixes of coffee beans to decrease the acidity and increase the caffeine levels. The baristas make the coffee to each customer’s personal taste--something that Phil Jaber is incredibly proud about. If you watch an episode of Silicon Valley you are more than likely to see one of the characters holding a brown cup with “Philz Coffee” written in a funky font. People who are a part of the Philz community are obsessed with the coffee, they believe it is far superior to a chain brand coffee as each cup is made with the utmost thought. Finally, the potlatch is the practice of exchange, it is the barista giving you that perfect cup of warm coffee and the pleasant conversations you have with the local Philz community. Philz Coffee is the Church of Silicon Valley (8).
Durkheim
Durkheim’s concept of religion revolves around the idea that society, and all that it entails, is more important than the individual. An individual is never truly an individual, they are inserted into various parts of society and once apart of the community they have the opportunity to experience sacred things. Durkheim believes the point of religion is to maintain societal preservation (9). In the example of Philz Coffee, the coffee works to uphold the community’s energy levels, cooperativeness, and ability to efficiently work. Durkheim’s second belief is the future of religion will be continued because it is the “soul of society” (9). Coffee is a necessary commodity for most of America (American Runs On Dunkin, etc.), so Philz Coffee acts to preserve the functionality of present and future Silicon Valley residents.
J.Z. Smith
In J.Z. Smith’s The Bare Facts of Ritual, he presents the overarching question, “how do we reconcile the ideal with what we do in practice?”, in order to better understand rituals. Unlike Geertz who believes the imagined and real world are the same, Smith recognizes that reality does not always result in ideal outcomes because humans lack total control over the universe (10). However, rituals enable people to rehearse their desires in a controlled environment. The ritual of buying a Philz coffee and doing work there is seen as the pathway to a successful career, as supported by the fact Mark Zuckerberg’s drink of choice is Philz coffee. But, Smith’s perspective also accounts for failure to achieve the ritual’s desired outcome, picking up a Philz does not mean you will automatically become a billionaire startup founder.
Geertz
Geertz, on the other hand, believes rituals affirm the notion that the real and imagined world are the same and connected by religious symbols (11). He encourages people to view symbols from the perspective of those within the particular culture for the purpose of revealing the truth about the world. In regards to Silicon Valley, one must integrate themselves into the startup culture to understand the value of Philz as a ritual. We must watch how the characters in the television show Silicon Valley interact with the caffeinated drink or observe firsthand the unique environment of a Philz Coffee shop. Geertz claims rituals function by convincing people their way of life is true and fulfilling (12). The symbols of Philz Coffee, as perceived by Bay Area locals, are strong, artisan coffee, community, and success. It provides a sense of motivation and achievability in a place that is so fast-paced and innovative. The most important function of Philz, in the perspective of Geertz, is it allows a person to be convinced their way of life and the decisions they make are just and fulphilling.
Sources
Lecture 4/10/18 slide 19
Lecture 4/10/18 slide 13
Bruck, Maggie 2018
Lecture 4/10/18 slide 18
Lecture 5/1/2018 slide 3
Lecture 4/26/2018 slide 9
https://www.colorado.edu/ReligiousStudies/chernus/4800/GeertzSummary.htm