Owner Ralph Flynn is putting finishing touches on the 1,800-square-foot space—formerly occupied by the Campbell Roasting Company. He took over the space in early September and plans to open the cafe on Nov. 13 at 4 p.m.

"Our mission is to create a European-style neighborhood cafe, where you can meet friends or conduct business," Flynn said. That's how the original store, at The Oaks in Cupertino, has evolved since opening in 1989. "We've had about 35 or 40 couples get married after meeting at the Coffee Society."

The Coffee Society will seat about 50 people inside, with more seating available outside. An iPod programmed with 10,000 songs will pipe music into the cafe, featuring everything from swing to rock to movie soundtracks. Occassionally, jazz trios and acoustic guitarists will also perform live.

Flynn is also outfitting the store with free, wireless Internet access. When customers log on, he said, "They'll come to our home page. It'll list daily specials and information about loyalty discount cards."

What's really unique, he said though, is the self-serve honor system. If a customer just wants a regular cup of joe, he or she pours it and then puts the $1.50 payment in a jar at the self-serve bar. The honor system was started at the request of busy customers. It's convenient, Flynn said, and it also eliminates lines.

It's that convivial atmosphere, coupled with great coffee, that Flynn said sets the Coffee Society apart from other coffeehouses. "We can't fight Starbucks," he said, "So we're competing in one community at a time. We're going to maintain quality products."

The cafe offers 34 custom coffee blends on its menu. Flynn uses growers from South America, Africa, Indonesia and Hawaii. While some beans are organic, he noted, "All are Arabica and they're grown at higher altitudes." Seven blends will be featured daily, with the shop roasting its beans on-site every 48 hours so the coffee is guaranteed to be fresh.

Customers with a hankering for an espresso or a latte can order from the Coffee Society's professionally trained baristas. All employees take a three-day course taught by Andrew Hetzel, a nationally renowned barista judge. It takes about two months to earn a barista certification, Flynn said, "and then they're encouraged to participate in national competitions. They're judged on speed, accuracy, taste, temperature, presentation, even dress."

In addition to the coffee, Flynn brings in scones from San Francisco and carrot cake from Monterey. Lunch items will also be available. The Pruneyard store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight. The long hours mean it will take about 35 employees on three shifts to keep things brewing.

One thing Flynn likes about the Pruneyard location is that it's next to the Camera 7 Cinemas, at the back of the shopping center. Since it's adjacent to a big parking lot, Flynn is hopeful early morning commuters will take advantage of that to run in and grab a cup on the way to work.

Flynn started in the coffee business in the 1960s in Boston. The shop was so popular that people like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger were regulars. They'd come to sip and often would end up singing. "Our reputation is based on the fact that we create a social event." He's even written an article on the subject, "The Sociological Aspect of A Great Good Place." Its theme follows Flynn's belief that everybody has three places they go: first is home, second is work or school and third is a place to hang out like the Coffee Society. Flynn is proud of the fact that his customers have written books and screenplays at the Coffee Society. He claims that during the height of the dot-com boom, business plans for as many as 45 companies were written at the Cupertino cafe.

The Pruneyard cafe is Flynn's third shop. Besides The Oaks location, he just opened another cafe at the Cupertino Public Library. It is a family-owned and -operated business. Flynn said, "We're really excited about becoming part of the Campbell community." He wants to have work from local artists decorating the walls and perhaps poetry readings.

But Flynn's bottom line is, "We just want people to come over and be social with us."