The American coffee scene is like a vast canvas, with a few masterpieces scattered among a sea of paint-by-numbers mediocrity. Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not about to dismiss every café as a lost cause. There are a few strokes of genius out there, but for the most part, we’re swimming in a sea of lukewarm brews and uninspired milk.
In a country where fast food joints like In-N-Out can churn out a full meal faster than you can say “double-double,” where pizzas come in sizes larger than a small car, and let’s not forget the holy grail of American dining—the free refill; it’s no surprise that quantity often reigns over quality.
In this landscape, good coffee often gets lost in the hustle and bustle. Because let’s face it, good coffee isn’t about mass production or reliability—it’s a scientific art form. It takes time, skill, and a whole lot of patience to go from bean to brew.
But fear not my friends, there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Small cafe franchises like ‘Verve’ and ‘Bluestone Lane’ are stepping up to the saucer, offering not just your run-of-the-mill coffee, but a taste of something different. They’re bringing the Australian staple, the Flat White, to the masses, complete with latte art—a subtle rebellion against the ‘gimme now’ culture that pervades so much of the American society.
Now let’s be real, there's still a long road ahead. Specialty roasted coffee is a rare find in many parts of the great land. But hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a thriving coffee culture. So let’s raise our mugs to progress, one carefully crafted cup at a time.
Thanks for having coffee with me,
Caitlin xx