Coffee Shop Culture 'The Dark Bean Rises'
Frappes, Cappuccinos, Lattes and granola. WiFi, cultural flyers, intimate performances and all things nice. A place for trendy professionals to have business meetings and simultaneously for arty creative types to engage in idol musing. Unbeknownst to most, the concept of the coffee house actually dates back to 16th century Turkey, I imagine providing a fitting place for the poets, artists and storytellers of the Ottoman empire to commune.
The trend spread rapidly throughout Europe and (mostly via Italian settlers) to America, who have condensed, repackaged and re-sold the Idea using a more 'fast food' approach in the form of espresso bars. This has reinvented the culture and reinstated it world wide as the place to be between all the places where you need be. (Not to mention generating billions for the big retailers and creating global empires).
I am no stranger to the coffee shop or indeed the coffee house, which I have realised to be slightly separate entities. I've probably sampled every variation of caffeine enriched beverage that they have to offer on their more or less identical menus. I've blogged in Starbucks, written in Costa, met in Cafe Nero and mused in a whole host of independent coffee shops. I'm yet to try the unique offerings of an Amsterdam coffee shop but I hear that they're just delightful.
From all walks of life people adhere to the cultural resurgence that is the coffee shop at some point during our busy schedules, whether we have time to stop or we are on the go. From young mums with their bundles of joy to budding novelists with their Macbook pros, and in some cases both, (see J K Rowling).
There has been many trendy niches rise and fall in popularity, and some that seem to exist as an acquired taste like the sushi bar or sheesha lounge. Then there are those that have been completely forgotten about like the late 90s early 00s popular hangout that was the Internet cafe. The coffee shop came, saw and conquered, representing everything that is modern and 'cool'. Also, a lot of the traditions of the classic coffee house have naturally found themselves a welcome home.
Providing a platform for up and coming artists to exhibit their work, a place for busy workaholics to relax, somewhere for students to complete their essays, or even a base for rebels and revolutionaries to convene and conspire to overthrow the government (if that's your cup of...erm...coffee, almost used the T word). Most importantly, the coffee shop/house has always provided a venue for counterculturalism to blossom, but as popularity grows niches inevitably become cliches. So, as for the future of the coffee shop... who knows?
Submitted by David, The Collective
The trend spread rapidly throughout Europe and (mostly via Italian settlers) to America, who have condensed, repackaged and re-sold the Idea using a more 'fast food' approach in the form of espresso bars. This has reinvented the culture and reinstated it world wide as the place to be between all the places where you need be. (Not to mention generating billions for the big retailers and creating global empires).
I am no stranger to the coffee shop or indeed the coffee house, which I have realised to be slightly separate entities. I've probably sampled every variation of caffeine enriched beverage that they have to offer on their more or less identical menus. I've blogged in Starbucks, written in Costa, met in Cafe Nero and mused in a whole host of independent coffee shops. I'm yet to try the unique offerings of an Amsterdam coffee shop but I hear that they're just delightful.
From all walks of life people adhere to the cultural resurgence that is the coffee shop at some point during our busy schedules, whether we have time to stop or we are on the go. From young mums with their bundles of joy to budding novelists with their Macbook pros, and in some cases both, (see J K Rowling).
There has been many trendy niches rise and fall in popularity, and some that seem to exist as an acquired taste like the sushi bar or sheesha lounge. Then there are those that have been completely forgotten about like the late 90s early 00s popular hangout that was the Internet cafe. The coffee shop came, saw and conquered, representing everything that is modern and 'cool'. Also, a lot of the traditions of the classic coffee house have naturally found themselves a welcome home.
Providing a platform for up and coming artists to exhibit their work, a place for busy workaholics to relax, somewhere for students to complete their essays, or even a base for rebels and revolutionaries to convene and conspire to overthrow the government (if that's your cup of...erm...coffee, almost used the T word). Most importantly, the coffee shop/house has always provided a venue for counterculturalism to blossom, but as popularity grows niches inevitably become cliches. So, as for the future of the coffee shop... who knows?
Submitted by David, The Collective
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