Coffee Brings a Change through Europe
By the 17th century, coffee houses had evolved into places that helped change the course of history. Before coffee houses arrived in London, the normal social gathering place was a pub or tavern. The first attraction to coffee might have been its newness or the exhilaration from the caffeine, but quickly it became another reason to meet, and the coffee house was a place for socializing ("The Coffee House"). The absence of alcohol created an atmosphere in which one could engage in a more serious conversation than in taverns ("English Coffeehouses in the Seventeenth"). As a result, men did not get drunk as often. By the mid-17th century, there were over 300 coffee houses in London, many of which attracted patrons with common interests, such as merchants, shippers, brokers and artists (National Coffee Association USA). Since there were a wide variety of customers, it engaged people from different backgrounds to interact. This created the idea that while people are in coffee houses rank, class, or political opinions should be disregarded. This was a big change coming from a country that abided by social class to completely ignoring it.