American woman baffled about European coffee shop opening times - but is humbled
An American woman has shared the moment she was left gobsmacked after trying to buy a coffee in a European country at 6.45am.
A woman was left utterly flabbergasted during her European travels upon discovering that coffee shops don't open their doors at the crack of dawn, specifically at 6.45am.
For many of us, a steaming cup of cup or hot tea is an essential ritual to kick-start our mornings. Whether you're an office worker or someone who commutes, it's common to sip on a hot beverage upon waking or to pick up a more indulgent latte or cappuccino en route to work. Typically, coffee houses and retail outlets are ready for business when the majority of folks begin their dayusually somewhere between 8am and 9am.
However, Sarah Tonen, an American visitor, was taken aback while touring Europe as she found herself unable to secure her morning caffeine fix at her preferred time. She described the ordeal as a "culture shock" and lamented that "nobody tells you".
Taking to her TikTok account @sarahtonen, Sarah recounted her routine of grabbing a coffee first thing after getting up. Upon waking at 6.45am, she strolled down to the hotel reception area, only to find the coffee spot firmly shut.
"I got to their little coffee and it's closed," she shared.
Confused, he approached the front desk to inquire if the barista might be running late. The response she received was one of bewilderment as the staff member replied with a simple 'no'.
When Sarah mentioned the time, the employee suggested that the barista was likely still in bed. Further confusion ensued when Sarah questioned if the barista was ill, only to be reassured that he was perfectly fine.
"I don't think she meant to do this but she kind of rolled her eyes and said coffee is not open until 9," shared Sarah. She claimed the receptionist "laughs" at her decision to find coffee elsewhere.
Several social media users explained that typically, folks in Europe tend to prepare their morning coffee at home. "We are making coffee at home, we eat breakfast at home," wrote one user, while another added another: "In Europe, we just make coffee at home."
Another continued to explain the custom: "You have your 'wake up' coffee at home, and your social coffee hour in the cafe or coffee shop. This is how most countries do it! " "Usually you have a coffee maker or an electric kettle in your room to make tea and coffee so I don't see problem? ," chimed in a TikTok user.
"The coffee even snoozes till 6:45 am," joked another user, and one particularly surprised by the habits said: "Just got back from Paris, they wake up late, slow mornings. It's kind of nice."
Further throwing light on European culture, a user shared: "The reason behind this is that they value everyone's work/life balance so everyone can wake up comfortably, have fun on weekends, etc. It takes some getting used to but I've grown to really respect it."
There were some notes that opening times are not standard - some hotels and coffee shops may open at earlier times. One person commented: "I think it depends where you are! Most hotels in the UK start breakfast at 6.30."
"In Europe, most hotels serve breakfast starting at 7.00 am," wrote another.
When Sarah later visited a coffee shop, she was surprised when her large latte was the same size as a small in the US.
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