We love coffee. We love the smell, the taste, the way a steaming Americano feels in our hands but why? Why do we millennials love coffee? I can tell you that as a black coffee drinking, espresso chugging, iced macchiato addict that it serves a grand purpose. It keeps me awake, it's a social setting yet also somewhere I can work on my laptop. The culture involved in a coffee house is a unique atmosphere. Wes Gay a contributing writer fo Forbes Magazine wrote an interesting article about this coffee culture take over. "millennials were more likely than any other generation to view a cafe space as a place to be more productive. " - Dr. Bower.
His article brings some cool facts to the table stating that millennials have a more disposable income than past generations, as well as choosing to spend our money differently than past generations aka on more expensive coffee. I have a less educated and fact-filled opinion than that. I think that media may have had a role in making us coffee house lovers. TV shows like Freinds, Seinfeld, Gilmore Girls, Pretty Little Liars, Fraiser, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer all feature a signature coffee shop that plays a vital role in the show as the hangout spot or the place of dramatically filled conversations. Places like Central Perk and Rear Window Brew are easily identifiable to almost any millennial.
With this take off of coffee houses in the media, there is also the social pressure of drinking coffee. Any high schooler, college student or young adult more or less has tried the coffee and experienced this coffee house culture solely because it's what the cool kids are doing. Entrepreneur's around the country have jumped on to this trend and continually feed the more artistic and open-mindedness of the millennial. They have cute names for drinks, trendy writings on the wall with extremely extra sayings like "I like my cream & sugar with a touch coffee". They feed our dreamer sides by putting up artsy pictures of Paris, London, Amsterdam, and Venice, all places that reinforce the wanderlust that every young adult feels. These people know what they are doing and we like it. Capitalism is alive and well in the hands of these business owners but again we're not complaining.
Needless to say, as an avid coffeehouse goer I can only explain to the non-believer so much. I truly don't know why I can focus better with a steaming latte. While the coffee game has transformed from Grandpa's cup of joe at 5 a.m. and become my 2 p.m. pick me up; coffee is now a definitive part of the millennial culture change.
