Coffee Shops

Welcome back to my blog! I’ve been thinking a lot about what to discuss this week, and I finally came up with an idea that is pretty simple but represents a big part of most people’s daily routines in both countries: coffee shops.

Starting with Italy, what we call a “bar” is more similar to an American coffee shop. These bars offer a wide variety of sweets, pastries, sandwiches, and snacks, ranging from ice cream to chips and more. Coffee is the main reason people go to bars, especially in the morning, where they read the newspaper, particularly the Gazzetta dello Sport, the national sports newspaper, where of course most pages are dedicated to soccer! Unlike in the U.S., we don’t have drive-thrus, so people visit bars to sit down, relax, and chat with friends.

Many bars also offer the opportunity to have an aperitivo, which takes place later in the evening before dinner. People gather around a table, listen to music, and enjoy a selection of shared snacks along with an alcoholic drink. Some bars also serve apericena, which is similar to an aperitivo but happens closer to dinner time. For both occasions, people usually dress up, with apericena being slightly more formal.

In the United States, coffee shops are quite different. To be honest, I’ve never been to one myself, but I’ve heard a lot from people who go. Most coffee shops here have drive-thrus because people are often in a rush and don’t have time to sit down and eat peacefully. For some, it’s just more convenient to grab their order and consume it whenever and wherever they want. Inside a coffee shop, you’ll often find people studying alone or in groups, chatting with friends, or even working remotely.

Another big difference is that in the U.S., I believe you must buy something to stay in the coffee shop, whereas in Italy, you don’t necessarily have to buy anything to sit, have a conversation, and relax (at least in smaller, local bars where most people know each other). However, this isn’t the case for every bar.

This is how coffee shops in the United States and Italy differ from each other. Of course, there are always exceptions, but this is generally how it works in most places.

Let me know what you think! See you next week!