Energize Me

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

I went buy our main coffee shop the other day and saw that the outside Coffee Court was busy. The fantastic weather made this possible. Local coffeehouses have grown lately due to many new flavours and innovative drinks. Live bands also bring in those interested in hearing good music. I think poetry readings are also being held here. These guys are doing so well they opened another place farther west of town but it is drive-through only but at least you can get a fresh cuppa joe on your way home if you live in that area. The first known coffee shop dates back to 1475. Kiva Han was the name of it and was located in Constantinople [now Istanbul]. Around 1529 the idea of cream and sweetners was added to coffee when they appeared in europe. First Coffeehouse in England was in 1652 called "The Turk's Head" Coffeehouse. It seems all coffee was spread from Turkey. The English Coffeehouses first used the idea of "tips". A jar was placed on tables "to ensure prompt service". Brits called their coffeehouses "Penny Universities" due to a cup costing 1 penny. A small coffeehouse owned by Edward Lloyd in 1668 was so popular it later became Lloyds of London Insurance Company. The Tontine coffehouse in NY city [1792] was on the orginal location for the NYSE. In the good old days Coffeehouse were places to socialize and discuss events and to read or write plus entertain with games or music. Many famous Chess Matches were played in coffeehouses. I suspect backgammon and cribbage events are also played in them. Joan Baez and Bob Dylan began their careers in Coffeehouses. Churches used the coffeehouse concept in their outreach missions. Then of course Starbucks turned the coffeehouse into coffee shops which was more like a Coffee Restaurant. But many coffeehouses remind me of the old Mom-N-Pop family Diners with their local flare and downhome service and the customers knowing what was going on all over town [gossip]. I'm sure many coffeehouses allowed smoking besides donuts and danishes. One nice thing about the tops on coffee cups is you dont spill any when pedaling over potholes! Jimio saying ride Safe.