the price of coffee recorded a strong increase in 2021

Francesco Sanapo, owner of the Ditta Artigianale café in Florence (Italy), received an unexpected fine of 1,000 euros. “When a customer discovered that our decaf cost two euros, he went wild, he complained about the price, he complained and later accused us of ripping him off, (…) then he called the police”, he says. The police blamed the trader for not displaying his price clearly.

In addition to the resource, cafe owners must also pay for staff, electricity and location. 1.20 euro per coffee, in their opinion, is not enough. “Quality pays off”, argues Francesco Sanapo. Coffee beans are also becoming more and more expensive. The health crisis and poor harvests have indeed caused prices to jump. For Italians, who consume 30 million cups of coffee a day, it’s a national problem. “In 2021, the price of espresso has increased by almost 40% in Italy”says journalist Camille Rigeade.