Standard to-go coffee leads to mindful sipping.
Sure, coffee is a global cultural phenomenon, but it didn’t happen overnight. In fact, “how” we see, make, and consume coffee in contemporary times still ties together with the coffeehouses in 17th century Europe. But one thing is certain – instant access to more coffeehouses encourages more people to be part of the unique American coffee culture.
Coffee in Professional and Social Settings
Just like centuries ago, coffee plays a central role across all socioeconomic classes if you want to be part of the social and professional space. In the last decade, coffee has become an incredibly popular and practical beverage to lead an active lifestyle.
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Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, most business leaders realized that the tide is changing and work dynamics will inevitably change. Here’s the thing – the idea of productivity is still more primitive than people realize. In the end, productivity is all about how fast you can create something new.
Sure, everyone has their own approach to self-care. But through the context of productivity, you’re not planning to write the next Great Gatsby Novel or make Citizen Kane. Instead, you simply use coffee to reconcile what drives and motivates you the most on a particular day.
Consumption of Coffee in the U.S
Statistically, the U.S. is the biggest coffee consumer on a global scale. And it would be fair to say that America has become the hub of coffee consumption in 2022. But the culture of consuming coffee now extends beyond social gatherings. In fact, it is one of the fundamental elements in the modern work environment. For years, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and intellectuals have consumed coffee to exchange innovative ideas and opinions. And today, American coffee is more personalized and stylized.
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Unlike in Europe, the popularity of American coffee culture revolves around coffee outlets. Starbucks continues to play a key role in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to consume more coffee. In fact, over 45% of coffee in America is consumed by young adults. Data also shows that young Americans are 2 times more likely to consume coffee than adults over 60.
How is Coffee Culture in Europe Different than America?
Take the coffee culture in Italy, for example – Italians’ idea of consuming coffee is to converse with the barista at a local bar. On the other hand, Swedes see consuming coffee as a fika tradition, which involves scheduling a specific time of the day to drink coffee mindfully. Germans follow a similar cultural tradition of kaffeeklatsch that involves consuming coffee to be mindful at a specific time of the day.
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In the context of coffee, there is usually a clear and shared purpose of consuming the beverage to be part of the social space or engage in the workplace setting. But consuming coffee to have a mindful or sensory experience is not the case in the United States. In fact, the to-go coffee phenomenon is the complete opposite.
In different parts of Europe and Africa, stating that you want a cup of coffee or let’s have a hot coffee comes across as odd. In America, the consumption of coffee extends beyond the familial setting. It is used for conflict meditation, political conversations, workplace productivity, etc. The truth is that the social fabric of America is interwoven with coffee consumption.
Coffee Equals Fresh Perspective
American coffee culture revolves around speed rather than relaxation. Historically, coffee has worked as a beverage that stimulates conversations. In the U.S., however, coffee enthusiasts consume a high volume of caffeine to stay alert. Many company executives need coffee in their system to make the next big business decision.
The phrase “don’t talk to me until I’ve had some coffee” is a reality in America. Oftentimes, there are subtle changes in how coffee is consumed and customized across different states. Nevertheless, the manifestation of consuming coffee drives progress and has the potential to create work-life balance.
Now, some critics believe that this rush to consume coffee solely for productivity may be halting future progress and can lead to serious long-term consequences. Of course, the consumption of coffee extends beyond the corporate world. But the workplace culture is also different than it used to be a decade ago.
Technology and Traditional Coffeehouses
With the advent of technology, traditional coffeehouses and cafes are slowly disappearing from the American landscape. Now, coffee culture is transforming into the workplace to run optimized business operations. While independent and small cafes are still famous in the U.S., customers now lean towards the efficient, convenient, and ready-to-go coffee culture.
From instant brewers to advanced coffee makers to drive-ins, to-go coffee has become a new standard in America. In contemporary workplace break rooms, companies design the infrastructure to make accessibility to coffee instant and straightforward.
Americans swarming coffee shops for to-go coffees or spending hours in coffee shops to work remotely is a new norm. Coffee shop tech features and franchised chains are now catering to this cultural shift to retain the loyalty of next-gen coffee consumers.
Coffee and Multi-tasking
Increased coffee consumption is bound to have a negative impact. But multi-tasking and completing scheduled tasks now largely depend on coffee consumption. Oftentimes, exhaustion sets in, and people feel the need to drink coffee to move forward. Now, it might seem quite surprising once you realize that the entire American workforce uses coffee as fuel to have a productive day.
If you love coffee, you may not necessarily associate with the current American coffee culture. But the fact remains that coffee is embedded into social, political, and corporate culture. Critics, however, feel that this style of coffee consumption in America leads to overstimulation. But do organizations have to rethink their work culture? Absolutely – and does coffee improves mental and physical state? Yes.
In a broader sense, life is more than just about work optimization. Rather, coffee fills a void for people who want a healthy work-life balance. In a competitive work environment – failure is not an option, and sudden changes often throw off employees. And this is where coffee comes to the rescue for people who want to stand out in the corporate setting and consume the beverage to have meaningful conversations in social gatherings.
Consider coffee consumption part of your organizational culture from today!
Sense of Community
Like other cultures, coffee culture in America reflects a sense of community and togetherness. It is a beverage that allows you to savor the best moments with your friends and family. Coffee culture is deep-rooted in today’s American society. Coffee breaks have always been associated with the high performance of employees.
But now, psychologists and healthcare professionals concur that coffee consumption is critical to maintaining healthy work and social conditions. Also, companies and franchises don’t have to bring other coffee cultures into America. Instead, they can embrace the elements that make up the unique American coffee culture.
In all fairness, American coffee culture is a combination of various European and African coffee cultures. However, coffee consumption in a commercialized setting leads to more community activism, corporate growth, and conflict resolution. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, when engagement and attention spans were at an all-time low, coffee played a key role in helping the workforce adapt to new conditions. Consuming coffee has become a ritual people practice at work and home to get the best experience.
Final Thoughts
The idea of consuming chilled or hot coffee comfortably in a coffeehouse with free Wi-Fi continues to draw the attention of more young adults to consume coffee. Although consumption patterns have started to change, it is a trend that is unlikely to end overnight. Besides, coffee has practical use cases, which makes it easier to fall in love with the beverage.
It is important to realize and recognize the evolution of coffee culture to better understand how it is consumed today. You can look at coffee as a fuel that allows people to handle multiple tasks at the same time. Whether it’s networking, collaborating, communicating, or sharing information in meetings, coffee will continue to be in the spotlight.
If you want to spark more productivity and help employees realize their potential – make CWJ’s Nitro Cold Brew part of your work environment.
By: Brandi Marcene