As of January 27, 2025, coffee mega-chain, Starbucks, has rescinded their open-door policy.This makes it so only paying customers can spend time or use the restrooms in their over 17,000 U.S. locations. With the number of “third places” available to the American public dwindling, where can Chabot College students still meet and socialize without having to pay for it?

“Third place” is a sociological term used to mean any place outside of a person’s home or workplace (or school) that they can freely congregate and socialize with others. Malls, arcades and coffee shops are examples of businesses that served as third places in the 20th century. As policy changes like the one from Starbucks become more common, places like these are becoming harder to find.

“I think it’s ridiculous that the world is increasingly becoming impossible to live in without money,“ said Finley Frye, a philosophy student at Chabot. “That obviously forces the majority of people into isolation, which is really bad for mental health, for community in general.”

Physics major, Abigail Rodolfo, had this to say about the recent policy change, “Well, from a business perspective, I get it, but I don’t like it because personally I like hanging out with my friends. And sometimes – when I don’t have money – sometimes I just want to go somewhere quiet and just hang out. And I’m sure many students like me will feel the same.”

So the question remains: where can Chabot students find a suitable third place to meet and socialize?

Alex Geissman, owner and operator of Angry Goose Games in San Lorenzo, hopes that his business can serve as a third place for local students. “I grew up going to gaming conventions and always enjoyed just a space where people could come, hang out with friends, spend time together, play board games, card games or whatever they enjoy,” says Geissman.

Angry Goose Games offers board gaming rooms for rent at $15 per hour. Geissman says he set the pricing this way so customers can pool their resources instead of having to pay per person. Angry Goose also offers free game nights where people can come to enjoy games like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, and Disney’s Lorcana card games free of charge. It is also located next door to the local favorite Frodo Joe’s Cafe and several other places to buy food and drinks.

Public libraries also offer Chabot students a third place to meet and gather, and they offer access to useful resources like public wi-fi and printing. The Hayward Public Library even gives its members access to a “maker space” with a laser cutter, Cricut printing machine and a 3D printer.

Chabot’s new library in building 600 was designed with student third-place needs in mind says librarian, Pedro Reynoso, “We have created a space where students can feel kind of a destination where they can gather, they can socialize.”