Drinking coffee at coffee shops 'becomes luxury'

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Coffee prices are rising both in Europe and in Türkiye. According to the Eurostat data coffee prices rose 17 percent on the average in Europe while the same rise was 111 percent in Türkiye.

Consuming coffee has become a big luxury with the inflation in Türkiye where coffee lovers really received a blow. The ones who used to have coffee out more than once started to change their consumption habits. One can observe this both in chain coffee shops and third generation coffee shops.

"Sales not as in the past"

While chain coffee shops are able to preserve their steady customers, third generation coffee shops say that they miss the coffee consumption before the pandemic.

In one copy shop in Beyoğlu, İstanbul, the shopkeeper says, "We are able to manage. The presence of tourists helps us keep afloat. But if you ask me if we miss the days before the pandemic, of course we do. Coffee sales are not at those levels at all."

The coffee chains are still crowded. But when you go in and check you see that the consumption habits have changed. A group of university students tell us that they always drink coffee and that one among them is even coffee addicted.

"I put myself a limit"

Zeynep from this group says, "I go to the university 20 days a month. If you add the few days that I go out, I normally consume coffee out 22-23 days a month. I used to be able to have more than one cup of filter coffee in a day but it is impossible for me to do the same now."

"In the places we go together with my friends, a cup of coffee is 35-40 Turkish lira. Therefore I only have a little. I confine myself to one cup. I also have my thermos with me. I bring my coffee. It is cheaper to make it at home. This way I spend 500 to 600 lira in a month."

"It is a dream for students to have coffee out"

Berk, who is a student and also a barista in a coffee chain says, "I do not spend much for coffee since I work here. It would cost me 500-600 a month otherwise, because I drink coffee every day. But since I work here I do not pay for my coffee consumption.

"But we give 50 lira for a coffee when we sit somewhere else with friends, if we take a desert, that makes 100 lira. Under these conditions it is a dream for students like me to have a coffee out."

"I confine myself to one cup"

Lawyer Beyza Uğur is also a coffee lover but she also had to change her consumption habits. She says, "Coffees I drink in chain shops are between 25-30 lira. I drink black coffee. I prefer filter coffee because it is the cheapest. I do not prefer coffee with milk or sugar. If I am out for a long time I have two large cups of coffee.

"In the places I go with my friends, a cup of coffee is 35-40 lira. Then I have less. I confine myself to one cup. I drink more coffee at home now."

An employee of the Turkish-German Bookstore Cafe in Istanbul tells about different practices in their cafe. He says, "We sell a cup of coffee for 20 lira to students. We either make money, gaining from demand or we do not make money. We cannot buy coffee for cheap. The prices are always changing.

"For example if they take the coffee and leave, it is cheaper. We call it "take away." But if the customer wants to sit down on a table and drink coffee it costs 5-10 lira more." (ED/EMK/PE/VK)