by InTrieste
From Trieste down to the rest of Italy, this summer’s headlines were all about the increasing prices. A bar in the northern Liguria region is making the news for its low price for coffee. We decided to find out.
La Bottega del Caffè in the village of Millesimo is offering an espresso for just 0.70 cents – far lower than the bar’s usual price of €1.20.
The catch? “Customers must bring their own cup, spoon and sugar from home,” Valentina, the owner’s daughter, told us.
She said the initiative began as a “provocation” in response to news stories of customers being hit with surcharges of €2 to cut a sandwich in half or €2 after asking for a plate.
Elio Venturino, the bar’s owner, launched the idea: “Why don’t we tell customers to bring their own cup and put the espresso at 70 cents?”
His daughter Valentina immediately printed the posters.
“We have had at least 20 people stop by yesterday. Everyone loves the idea.”
“Anything like this will work here,” a bar client told us. “As we Ligurian people like to save money.”
Stressing that it is “no joke”, Venturino told InTrieste that the initiative highlights the difficulties faced by the hospitality sector in grappling with rising costs of raw materials, energy and wages.
Will Trieste and the rest of Italy’s bar owners pick up on the trend? It remains to be seen. One thing’s certain, it definitely brings the attention back to what most people think about first thing in the morning – a good cup of coffee – and will hopefully help the hospitality sector get back on its feet.
