January 30, 2001

Dear Ternani #11

"Endangered species: The local Italian bar"

Recently I read an article in Corriere Della Sera about the possibility of Starbucks, the huge American gourmet coffee shop chain opening shops in Italy. The article mentioned that in an effort to beat Starbucks off the starting line, Caffe Illy and Autogrille both plan to open their own chain coffee shops in Italy. The globalization of the coffee shop: che peccato! ("what a shame!") It will probably mean the slow death of a vital and precious aspect of daily Italian life: the neighborhood bar.

I have a few favorite bars in Terni. One of them is Bar Turismo in Città Giardino. I go there most mornings and as soon as Paola the barista sees the front wheel of my bicycle appear outside she begins preparing the first of my two cappuccinos. As I walk through the front door Mario the padrone greets me with a cigarette toned "Carissimo, ben alzato." (basically: "Happy Rising.")
I spend the next hour letting the caffeine wake me up as I read my newspapers and listen to the state of the world discussed in Terni dialect.

One of the things I love about all bars in Italy is the "Si!" I invariably receive upon walking in and placing my order. This "Si!" means a lot to me. It means: "Si! Of course I will make you a cappucino!" It means: "Si! You have made a wonderful and wise decision by ordering one." It means "Si! I am happy to have you in my bar." This "Si!" is full of positive energy and it never fails to make me feel a little bit happier than I felt when I walked into the bar.

Starbucks offers positive energy too but it will cost you more than a £1800 (about 90 cents) cappucino. I think that Starbucks isn't so much a coffe shop as it is an approach to life - and a costly one at that. At Starbucks you can buy CDs, books, magazines, high-end espresso makers, latte bowls, and coffee beans grown in exotic locations all over the planet. What you can't buy is an espresso with a true Italian "crema" served in less than five minutes and in a ceramic cup (unless you specifically request one.) For that you have to come to Italy - but you had better hurry up and get here before Bar Turismo is turned into a Barnes and Noble.