About Coffee Houses

Whether they are viewed as small town social centers or a cheap night for those with tight wallets, coffeehouses offer unbeatable entertainment. Historically speaking, coffeehouses have always been the focus for all stripes of alternative culture and music--the list of performers who started out in them is long and impressive. For those who choose to operate a coffeehouse, long hours, apathetic public response and the risk of losing a personal investment are just some of the challenges. But for those who patronize them regularly, one night of stimulating conversation, music and drink in a coffeehouse is worth a thousand in a sleeker, more anonymous corporate setting.

History

A beatnik coffeehouse hangout during its '60s prime.

Coffeehouses have existed since the 15th century, when they became premier social centers throughout the Ottoman Empire. The concept of coffee, teas and light snacks spread throughout Europe during the 17th century, but in America, they did not boom until after World War II. During the 1950s, coffeehouses became wildly popular night spots for entertainment-starved Americans. This development coincided with the continued popularity of jazz, explosion of interest in Beat poetry and emerging folk music scene that had captured the imagination of students and aspiring musicians such as Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin and Paul Kantner--to name a few--who would go on to play major roles in the 1960s psychedelic rock movement. Blues musicians such as John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins and Josh White Jr. also experienced renewed popularity through the coffeehouse circuit.

Time Frame

British coffeehouses provided another outlet for '60s youth and their favorite bands.

During the 1960s, coffeehouses remained popular as low-cost alternative forms of entertainment, naturally springing up out of longtime Beat enclaves such as New York's Greenwich Village and San Francisco's North Beach area, or such lower-cost enclaves as Venice, California. As rock 'n' roll overtook the beatnik poetry and jazz scenes, a new breed of folk-rock performers--including Bob Dylan, Richie Havens and a host of lesser-known counterparts, like Fred Neil--emerged to capture listeners' imaginations. A similar phenomenon occurred in Britain, one that coalesced around the blues boom and experimental folk guitarists including Burt Jansch and Davey Graham. By the1970s and 1980s, it became possible to distinguish coffeehouses in the types of music artists that they hosted and the clientele they attracted.

Function

A customer relaxes at an Amsterdam coffeeshop.

In America, the function of coffeehouses--a mixture of light food, entertainment and social experiences through board games, free Internet access and literature--has remained remarkably constant since the post-World War II era.
In other countries, however, the concept has taken on radically different meanings. For example, the Asian coffeehouse experience is mainly aimed at on-the-go businessmen, with prices steeper than in the West, while in France, alcohol is also among the chief menu items. In the Netherlands, coffeeshops openly sell cannabis, although this has come under governmental pressure to get rid of organized crime. Not to be outdone, Japan offers the manga cafe, where customers can read manga comics and a host of services ranging from compact disc burning to photocopying, TV watching and even tanning.

Effects

The coffeehouse experience underwent a dramatic makeover during the 1990s, driven by the growth of chains such as Starbucks, which catered to a younger, but more upscale professional clientele. Critics slammed such companies as offering a more corporate, higher-price approach that was taking the coffeehouse far from its alternative and countercultural roots. The issue of fair trade products remains a divisive one within the coffeehouse community, though Starbucks has sought to lead the way in becoming the largest purchaser of such goods--which account for 10 percent of its purchases. Even so, this has still not been enough for critics, who call on Starbucks to expand its efforts.

Potential

Starbucks remains a key target of protests.

With the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the recessions that followed them, the previous decade's "go-go" financial climate became a distant memory, and--like many other industries--coffeehouses began to feel the chill. The growth that did occur centered on an expansion of free computer and Internet access, which coincided with a newly-revived poetry scene. Churches also continued to use coffeehouses as an outreach to attract nonbelievers. The American economy's contractions during 2007-08 spelled trouble for chains, forcing mass job cutbacks and closings of underperforming stores. The outlook remained brighter in Europe, where coffeehouses have become a popular alternative to the pubs that once dominated its social landscape.

Resources

• History of the Coffeehouse, Part I
• Beatnik Era Poetry in the Coffeehouse
• I Hate Starbucks