Italy is one of the countries I know that does not have Starbucks. Or Pizza Hut for that matter. Why would they want those chains when their coffee and pizza are so good, right? I have run into a few Italians who yearn for Pizza Hut, which makes sense. Even if you think Pizza Hut is gross (personally I enjoy it as a nostalgic indulgence), it really is its own thing and no Italian Pizzaria sells “pizza” like it. Same reasoning can be applied for Starbucks. Italians have cafes (or Bars, rather) with delicious espresso and typically a hearty dose of charm on virtually every corner. Why would they need a big chain coffee shop? Same answer, it’s just different.
Last night at a BBQ with about 15 Italians and myself I heard for the first time someone say how much they wish there were Starbucks here in Italy. Every region in Italy makes pizza a slightly different way– from the thick Napoli pies, to the thin ones here in Rome, to the ultra-thick focaccia-like pizza they make near Genoa, and so forth. While everyone insists their own region makes the best pizza, they seem more united on coffee. There are a handful of household names: illy, lavazza, danesi, segafredo. Almost all coffee here is one of these brands and the people are pretty much in agreement that Italian is the best coffee. Knowing this, I was really interested where this conversation was going to go.
Coffee is a strong part of their culture. In fact just earlier during dinner I had one of my favorite debates with Italians: “Why can’t I order a cappuccino after dinner?”. For those curious, it is a faux pas to order a cappuccino after morning hours. With some prodding, the best reasons for this I have been able to get are: “it is bad for the stomach”, “you can’t drink warm milk after a meal”, or “it just isn’t done”. I love bringing it up because they always seem to feel very strongly about it, but are never very sure why. Though you know what they say, “When in Rome…” so when I’m here in Rome I try to blend in and just get an espresso or mocchiato, both perfectly acceptable, and save after dinner cappuccinos for when I’m back in the States.
If you ask any Italian they will happily explain to you the difference between an espresso or cafe (interchangeable), cafe mocchiato, cappuccino, americano, cafe corretto, cafe latte, and mochaccino. I think when I was living in Milan someone new explained it almost every day of my 3-month stay. And when I left I was drinking on average five shots of the stuff a day. They will also eagerly tell you how many coffees they have had that day (like asking a US college student how many beers s/he had last Friday). They love drinking it. They love talking about it. At the first mention of Starbucks, the crowd started buzzing about all the fun “american” or “long” coffee drinks (coffee can be long or short depending how much water is in it) and drinks with caramel or that you can walk around while holding. This is something I miss, as much as I love the Italian espresso and the “at the bar” experience here, there is something nice about having a warm coffee in your hand on a cold day to sip on while walking. But this is something they just don’t have here and it never occurred to me that they wanted. In the US, anything that anyone wants– it exists, twice, and you can get it delivered.
However, it wasn’t the coffee that was really being praised in the end. Those who had ever stayed in a Starbucks while traveling abroad agreed how nice an atmosphere the place had. They liked the free wi-fi and that you could stay as long as you liked, reading, studying and no one bothered you to buy something else or leave. This is truly the opposite of the experience you would get in a bar (cafe) in Italy. Here you pay a different price to sit down (seriously). In fact the group decided that if a Starbucks did open here, it would go out of business because it would become too Italian and wouldn’t pull off the same effect.
Anyway. I thought it was interesting.
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