Lahore, a city professed as being traditional seems to be on the road to becoming a cosmopolitan hub. This transition can be viewed in the mushroom growth of the coffee houses in the city. A nation fond of tea drinking is willingly accepting and blending into this new culture. It was surprising the level of adaptation of the people of the east,keep in mind that we the british got our tea from the east and that was among the reasons for the quest of east india componey.For the east tea is something as strong as there culture.
There was a time when the culture of tea houses was prevalent in Lahore. The intellectual class of poets, writers and scholars mostly visited these tea houses. One of the most popular tea house at that time was “Pak Tea House”. Professors and students from Government College and Punjab University used to drop in for a cup of tea and a side dish of discussions and debates. There were other places as well which included Shezan and Nagina Bakery etc, but no place was as popular as the Pak Tea House. Gymkhana was and still remains a well-liked meeting place where the older elites chat and have a good time. All these places in one form or the other served as meeting places or a mode of subtly intellectual entertainment to people. Times have changed now. A new emerging coffee house culture has taken over the society in its grip. This cultural invasion has crossed all age barriers but is effectively influencing today’s youth.
During 80’s and 90’s, “Hanging out” or “chilling” was an unfamiliar concept. This new array of coffee shops have just provided that; a place to hang out and chill. This budding coffee culture came into the scene during the last past five or six years. Theses places have become popular due to the different kinds of mouthwatering coffees, confectionaries and deserts they sell in abundance. Once thought of as a drink reserved for winters, coffee has taken the place of tea and is gradually becoming a part of our lives. Foreign and media exposure is also responsible for this change. People have become more westernized and liberal. A transition is taking place. The ‘black coffee breakfast’ concept, which was previously attached to the Western hemisphere has now mellowed down and localized.
The social structure in Pakistan is such that there are more tea lovers than coffee drinkers but having a cup of coffee in one of the posh coffee houses has become mandatory here. People visiting these cafes and ‘lounges’,(as they have come to be known) belong to a certain class, because let’s face it, a ‘designer’ cup of coffee in these cafes doesn’t come cheap. Youngsters like to be seen there. They are more socially active. These places are not meant for serious events. They provide more of a casual environment. Limitations on availability of good recreational activities have also given the coffee culture a boost. Initially, places like Pak Tea house provided social gatherings for intellectual discussions and poetry recitations. During 50’s and 60’s there were ballrooms for dancing which again came from westernized influence. This concept is evolving in the society, which at the same time is also responsible for creating awareness among its potential clientele. The media affects youngsters. Abroad, coffee franchises like Starbucks are famous names. Opening such places here might be a positive step. People are turning towards it, and are still in the process of changing. The tea houses before only catered to a specific class, while these coffee shops are targeting all ages. It gets crowded with students during summer vacations, but during examinations students are hard to find. In future, this trend is only going to increase further as it only provides a pleasant retreat from the hectic days and the lethargic weekends.
In the beginning people were afraid of drinking coffee as it was considered a ‘warm’ drink, meant only to be consumed in winters. This coffee culture has gained popularity because going to restaurants one has to dress up formally and only go to have dinner or eat out, while coffee shops provide an informal place to sit and relax. One does not need to dress up to go to these places and its not always necessary to place a large order to be allowed seating in the premises. Just having a cup of coffee and a donut or a sandwich with a smoothie allows you to become a welcome client. Youngsters usually inhibit these coffee houses in the afternoons and evenings. It is a relaxing way to spend one’s free times. After all, the more youngsters hang out in coffee houses, the less they are prone to waste their time in useless and dangerous activities such as street racing!
Most of the youngsters agree that that going out for a cup of coffee is a new way relax. It’s a cool trend giving a nice and a warm feeling when you go to a café. The abundance of coffee houses and cafes has also diversified the snack and finger food palette. Now chocolate lovers can get their hands on various confectionary and gourmet solutions to their chocolate cravings. Those who prefer savoury snacks and sandwiches also have the widest possible range available to choose from and biscuits and cookies are there for a quick sweet fix for young and old alike. Coffee shops have become an informal place for everyone, young and old. They also provide suitable places for meetings. Its short and sweet affair, without the formalities .Being seen at a coffee houses has become a fashion statement.
On a serious note, these hangouts can also negatively effect the youth of today. They can also provide a place to merely waste one’s time. There are no literary exchanges of ideas and hardly any other kind of intellectual ideas taking place. As a fashion statement of sorts, the stress is on ‘see and be seen’ rather than learning new ideas or exchanging knowledge. The café and coffee house culture seems to be evolving into a race of who sells what at the highest prices and who can afford it. For the sake of the youth patronizing these outlets, if any statement needs to be made here, it should be of lasting elegance, rather than a brief ‘coffee’ high.
