Warung Kopi Tradisional Di Wilayah Pedesaan Kecamatan Pancur Batu: Dengan Menggunakan Teori Third Place (Oldenburg, 1989) Apakah Masih Sebagai Pusat Informasi Dan Media Interaksi Masyarakat?

Abstract

This research is based on the phenomenon of the survival of traditional coffee shops in Pancur Batu District, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra Province amidst the onslaught of change and modernization of modern coffee shops. This study aims to determine the role of traditional coffee shops as information centers and media for community interaction. Through a qualitative approach with descriptive methods, data collected through in-depth interviews and observations were conducted from May 2025 to September 2025 using an interview guide with 9 coffee shop owners, 30 coffee shop customer informants, and 15 coffee shop customer wives to obtain the social function of traditional coffee shops in rural areas.The results of the study show that traditional coffee shops in Pancur Batu District, Deli Serdang Regency still fulfill the concept of Third Place as an informal meeting space that encourages social interaction, a center for information exchange, and builds bonds of togetherness in the local community through meetings, casual chats, sharing and receiving news between one another. Coffee shops maintain their function as authentic traditional coffee houses that reflect simple buildings, wooden facilities that reflect a rural atmosphere and the routine of going to coffee shops every day is not just a habit, but a hereditary tradition that is strongly embedded in the daily lives of local people. Despite the modern era and advanced digital media, direct (face-to-face) community interaction is irreplaceable. Coffee shops serve as information centers for local news, such as happy and sad news, thefts, and other news related to agriculture and commodity prices, such as crop prices, fertilizers, pests, and village policies. Coffee shops also act as an additional source of family income besides expecting the backbone of the family (father) to meet the family's financial needs, especially financing the children's needs.