The Coffee Culture in the USA

">velvet chairs and converse loudly. A vivid dialogue
It wasn't until I moved to the US that I started drinkingdevelops, exchanged with half roaring, half shrieking,
coffee regularly and became what they call in thelaughter. They mock a colleague in his absence and
Netherlands a 'koffieleut', which translates literally intothen clench their brows in concern while discussing the
'coffee socialite.' Although the average Europeanteeth of one of the men's daughter. Two
drinks more coffee per year than the averageAfrican-American women sit at a small table opposite
American, the cultural importance and its effects onthe reading-table in the murky light, one of them with a
the average European seems to me smaller than thatyellow headscarf with black African motifs. Close to
on the average American. After all, coffee is a culturalthe entrance, in the seating area next to the animated
obsession in the United States.conversation, a vagabond is playing solitaire. One by
Chains with thousands of branches like Dunkin' Donutsone he places the creased cards with rounded backs
or Starbucks dominate US daily street life. Especially inover one another, as if he attempts to stick them
the morning (90% of coffee consumed in the US is intogether. He rendered a couple of dollars in exchange
the morning), millions of white foamy cups with boldlyfor a small coffee to feel, in the warmth of the front
imprinted pink and orange logos bob across the streetsroom, nostalgia for a cozy living room and relives a
in morning rush hour and on the train. Coffee drive-inssense of intimacy of having your own house.
are a saving grace for the rushing army of helmetedIt's a bright, sunny, early autumn day, a typical New
and tattooed construction workers. During lunch break,England Indian summer. Sunbeams radiate through the
men and women in savvy business suits duck intocoloring, flickering foliage, and throw a puzzle-shaped
coffee shops.shadow into Starbuck's window. Autumn's hand turns
Students chill out from early afternoon till late eveningher colorful kaleidoscopic lens. The green ash tree
on comfy couches at coffee lounges around campus.near the sidewalk resembles, with its polychrome
Police officers clutch coffee cups while guarding roadcolors, somewhat a bronze statue: its stem sulphur
construction sites on the highway. In short, coffeebronze, its foliage intermittently copper green and
drinkers in the United States can be found just aboutferric-nitrate golden. On the other side of the cross
anywhere you go.walk the top of a young red oak turns fiery red. These
This mass-psychotic ritual causes Americans toare the budding impressions of the autumn foliage for
associate Europe above all with cars that oddly do notwhich Connecticut is 'world famous' in the US.
contain cup holders (to an American this is like selling aIn the world of marketing and entrepreneurship,
car without tires), or with the unbelievably petite cupsStarbucks is a success story. It is one of those stories
of coffee European restaurants serve, so small thatof 'excellence' taught as a case study at business
my father-in-law had to always order two cups ofschool. Founded in 1971, it really began its incredible
coffee. It is my strongest conviction that the easilygrowth under Howard Schultz in 1985, and presently
agitated and obsessed nature of the 'New Englander'has 6,294 coffee shops. But what does its success
can be blamed on the monster-size cups of coffeereally consists of? A large cup of coffee at Starbucks
they consume. Not without reason is the word 'coffee'is much more expensive than at Dunkin' Donuts: $2.69
derived from the Arab 'qahwa' meaning 'that whichcompared to $3.40 for a Starbucks' 'venti'. But while
prevents sleep.' Arabs have cooked coffee beans inDunkin' Donuts offers only a limited assortment of
boiling water since as far back as the 9th century andflavors like mocha, hazelnut, vanilla, caramel and
drank the stimulating extract as an alternative to thecinnamon, you will find exotic quality beans at
Muslims' forbidden alcohol.Starbucks like Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios Costa Rica,
These days coffee is second only to oil as the mostBrazil Ipanema Bourbon Mellow, Colombia Nariño
valuable (legally) traded good in the world with a totalSupremo, Organic Shade Grown Mexico, Panama La
trade value of $70 billion. Interestingly, only $6 billionFlorentina, Arabian Mocha Java, Caffè Verona,
reaches coffee producing countries. The remainingGuatemala Antigua Elegant, New Guinea Peaberry,
$64 billion is generated as surplus value in theZimbabwe, Aged Sumatra, Special Reserve Estate
consumption countries. Small farmers grow 70% of2003 - Sumatra Lintong Lake Tawar, Italian Roast,
world coffee production. They mainly grow two kindsKenya, Ethiopia Harrar, Ethiopia Sidamo, Ethiopia
of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. About 20Yergacheffe and French Roast. So Starbucks offers
million people in the world are directly dependent onluxury coffees and high quality coffee dining,
coffee production for their subsistence.reminiscent almost of the chic coffee houses I visited
Table 1: production in 2002/3country % 70% Arabicain Vienna.
30% RobustaEvery now and then, I grin shamefully and think back at
Brasil 42.03% Arab/Robmy endless hesitation choosing between the only two
Colombia 8.88% Arabicatypes of coffee available in most Dutch stores: red
Vietnam 8.35% Robustabrand and gold brand. Even up to this day I have no
Indonesia 4.89% Rob/Arabclue what the actual difference is between the two,
India 3.74% Arab/Robapart from the color of the wrapping: red or gold. Not
Mexico 3.54% Arabicasurprisingly, Starbucks appeals to the laptop genre of
Guatemala 3.1% Arab/Robpeople: consultants, students, intellectuals, the middle
Uganda 2.53% Rob/Arabclass, and a Starbucks coffee is a white-collar coffee,
Ethiopia 2.44% Arabicawhile a Dunkin' Donuts coffee is a blue-collar coffee. In
Peru 2.24% ArabicaDunkin' Donuts you will run into Joe the Plumber, Bob
Table 2: consumption in 2001/2world consumption %the barber, and Mac the truck driver. But what is it
kg per capita (2001)exactly, that attracts the white collared workers in the
USA 30.82% Finland 11.01US to fall back into the purple velvet chairs?
Germany 15.07% Sweden 8.55I imagine their working days filled with repetitive actions
Japan 11.47% Denmark 9.71and decisions within a playing field of precisely defined
France 8.89% Norway 9.46responsibilities. How many of the players in these fields
Italy 8.59% Austria 7.79get through the day with its routines for simply no
Spain 4.90% Germany 6.90other reason than being able to enjoy their daily 30
Great-Brittain 3.63% Switzerland 6.80the Netherlandsminutes-escape into the Starbucks intimacy where, for
2.69% the Netherlands 6.48a brief moment in the day, you regain the illusion of
Although the consumption of coffee per capita in thehuman warmth and exotic associations of resisting the
world is decreasing (in the US alone it decreased fromcoldness of high finance?
0.711 liter in 1960 to 0.237 liter presently), worldFor 15 minutes you fall back into the deep, soft pillow
consumption is still increasing due to the populationof a velvet chair and randomly, and alas how
explosion. Considering that coffee consists of either 1%important is that moment of utter randomness, pull a
(Arabica), 2% (Robusta) or 4.5%-5.1% (instant coffee)book from the shelves. While, in the background,
caffeine, the average American consumes at leastsoothing tones resound of country blues, with its
200 to 300mg (the recommended maximum dailyrecognition of deep human suffering, a blaze of folk
amount) of caffeine a day through the consumption ofwith the primary connection with nature and tradition, or
coffee alone.of merengue reviving the passionate memories of
The place I frequent to down a cup of coffee is theadventure and love, you gaze out the window and
Starbucks in Stamford, Connecticut. The entrance canponder about that simple, volatile reflection in the
be found on the corner of Broad Street and Summermoment, strengthened by the physical effect of half a
Street, to the left to the main public library with its plainliter of watery coffee that starts to kick in and the
pediment and slim Ionic columns. The location right nextsatisfaction of chewing your muffin, bagel, cake,
to the library harmonizes with Starbuck's marketingbrownie, croissant or donut.
plan. At the entrance of the coffee shop a life-sizeIt is, above all, that bodily ecstasy caused by a
glass window curves around to the left, providingcombination of caffeine, sugar and the salivating
superb voyeuristic views of pedestrians on thePavlov effect. You remember the struggling musician
sidewalk. As you enter, you step directly into the livingbehind the counter taking your order, the amateur poet
room area with stacked bookshelves against the backas you pay her for the coffee and give a full dollar tip,
wall. Velvet armchairs face each other with smallfeeling a transcendental bound in your flight from
coffee tables in the middle, creating intimate seatingreality. You stare with a fastened throbbing of the first
areas. The velvet chairs near the window are thegulps of coffee at the advertisements and poems on
prime seats, which people unfortunate to score athe bulletin board, and dauntlessly you think: They are
wooden chair prey upon. At the back of the longright, they are so right! and what do I care? Why
rectangular room is the coffee bar and a smallshould I care?
Starbuck's gift shop. There is a dark wooden tableBut then you look at your watch and notice you really
with electrical outlets suited for spreading out laptopshave to run again. 'Well, too bad, gotta go!', or people
and spreadsheets, dividing the living room area fromwill start gossiping for being so long away from your
the coffee bar.desk. And while you open the door, an autumn breeze
Since I have been cranky for weeks I hesitate to orderblows in your face, the last tunes of the blues solo die
a regular black coffee. It is very easy to get cloyedout as the Hammond organ whispers: 'I throw my
with a favorite food or drink in the US because of thetroubles out the door, I don't need them anymore'.
super-sized portions served. The smallest cup ofCoffee in the US is a subculture that massively floated
coffee is a size 'tall' (12oz.=0.35l.), after which one canto the surface of the consumer's society. Starbucks is
choose between a 'grande' (16oz.=0.5l.) and a 'venti'more than coffee, it's more than just another brand on
(20oz.=0.6l.). Half a liter of coffee seems a bit over thethe market, it is a social-political statement, a way of
top, and it sounds absolutely absurd to my Europeanperceiving how you would like to live, in other words it
mind. I finally end up choosing a 'solo' espresso.is a culture. Starbucks is the alternative to Coca-Cola
Sitting in one of the booth-like seats against the backand so much more than just coffee: it's chocolate,
wall, unable to obtain a prime seat, I feign to read myice-cream, frappuccino, travel mugs with exotic prints,
book while eavesdropping on conversations around tocups and live music, CD's, discounts on exhibitions and
me. Three middle-aged men sit in three ash grayeven support for volunteer work.