All the coffee shops look the same. Interestingly enough, and maybe a little bit predictable, this topic came to my mind while I was having a conversation with a friend at a coffee shop. While I don’t have extensive knowledge of the typical coffee shops of the Netherlands, I can say that I know enough about places where you can get actual coffee.
With the increase in globalization and people transit, several industries had to adapt in order to survive or just to make an insane amount of profit. While coffee shops are definitely not the biggest change, nor the most relevant, the way they have changed can say a lot about other aspects that have been changing. I mean, from drinking to social habits, to the importance of social media and aesthetics, coffee shops are remarkable places.
I am not sure how Finnish people feel about this as they consume more coffee than any other country in the world. However, as a Portuguese, it feels like the new wave of coffee shops is changing the coffee scene and habits. While going out for a coffee is still an excuse to socialize with friends or escape the rain, now it is more than that. All the coffee places must have a pleasant décor and they better serve you a drink with beautiful art on the top. I am not saying that all people care about these aspects, but it definitely has been on the rise. As pretty gets photographed, shared, and tagged, customers can create aesthetic content out of a simple human interaction, and businesses get free publicity. While all this makes sense, they all look the same, one way or another. From décor to coffee art, variations are rare. They all want to make you feel the same way. And, believe it or not, they all have similar price tags whether you’re in the Nordics or in Southern Europe, which is insane attending to the differences in salaries. This is definitely an aspect that gets out of hand, especially in a country such as Portugal, where it seems these businesses are targeted at short-term visitors and the now-called digital nomads, and not at people actually living there.
As I am from a country with people that have always loved to drink their expressos while children become part of the coffee-drinking culture by drinking large glasses of coffee with milk, it is somewhat weird seeing people my age (myself included) drinking cappuccinos or lattes (I won’t even comment on drinks with cinnamon and other things) as a habit. It certainly feels like there is a change in the culture. But more than that, I fear traditional coffee shops that were once enough and great places to be in. Will they survive without the aesthetic? I know I am being overly dramatic. I believe they will survive. But will there be new coffee shops that are not seeking the trendy but just to maintain culture?
When I visit a country, I like to visit things that are particular and characteristic of that same country, not another version of a coffee shop or a restaurant that I can find back home. Will this part of culture be slowly erased by globalization and comfortability? Do people actually want to know that anywhere they go they can know what to expect? Is different no longer appreciated?
I don’t have an answer, and even my own opinion is all over the place. However, I do think this is an interesting topic to think about and talk about.