Why cafés can take my money 

My bank account shrinks every time I walk past a coffee shop – but I’m not willing to sacrifice my coffee shop visits any time soon. 

Ireland, and most of the rest of the world is well and truly in its coffee obsessed era. While a cappuccino in Ireland five years ago would have cost no more than €3, now your pre work/college coffee will probably set you back €4 or €5 euro, especially with the recent love for milk alternatives which will add an extra charge onto your coffee in most places. 

We’re all guilty of complaining about the money we spend on coffee. When looking over my bank account at the end of the week and seeing all the €8 coffees and croissant spends add up, I roll my eyes at myself, but I won’t be sacrificing my coffee shop visits any time soon. 

We all know we could shake some of our money spending habits by making a less-fancy coffee at home to bring with us on our morning route – but it’s not the same, is it?  

A coffee shop visit to me is pure comfort. Since I was a child my favourite part of a day in town with my mam was the inevitable trip to marks and spencer’s café that was necessary mid-shopping day when we’d walked the legs off ourselves. 7-year-old me couldn’t face henry street for more than an hour without starting to wonder if I was ever going to be able to sit down again.  

A local café can be a place of relaxation and entertainment. You can sit in a café in the middle of the city and feel like you’ve escaped from the rushes of people with somewhere to be. To me they’re a place for people watching, resting the legs, meeting friends and of course good coffee. 

A recent trip to Social Fabric Café, located on Arbour Hill in Stoneybatter reminded me of why I’m happy to blindly spend on coffee. Upon walking in at 9am, slightly dreading the day ahead in college, my mood was quickly lifted by the friendly staff that spoke to me like they knew me. You don’t get that in the big chain coffee shops. The café was full of locals who many of seemed to know each other and were no stranger to Social Fabric. There was a real sense of community about the place and the staff spoke to everyone like they were friends, filling each other in on their days. That makes it clear to me why, even with every third building being a coffee shop the demand for them remains.