Coffee for Kids? (what’s Wrong with American and Japanese Coffee Shops)

American and Japanese Café Commonalities

In both America and Japan (as of this writing I currently live in Japan), coffee houses are filled with children. At first, this may not seem unusual to most of the younger people (mid 20’s and early 30’s) reading this article. However, let me go back in time to illustrate for you what a coffee shop used to be.

When I was in my early twenties, coffee shops were a sanction for the elderly—a place where one could drown out the noise of youth in a cup of cappuccino.

Gradually, the coffee shops I walked into, or passed by on the street, were devoid of the elderly (particularly men). I wondered if men were just dying off younger or something (please pardon the abstract thought, but I was in my early twenties at the time I speak of). I noticed also that there were no signs for senior discounts on the menu or the door. It just seemed as though the elderly were not being welcomed to the café. What was happening?

I recall the old days when men would gather in a café and play a game of chess or checkers. Oldsters, a term we used to refer to seniors, would puff on their pipes, chew cigars, and even read the newspaper at the coffee house.

Now, I see something completely different—children! Everywhere! Not just in America, I tell you. Japan is flooded with single mothers storming the coffee shops with their kids. In America, on the other hand, the kids come in to the cafés by themselves. This was puzzling not only to me, but to some of the coffee shop employees. Let me give you an example.

There was a young supervisor working the early morning shift (Around the time when I would come in to have a cup of ‘Joe’ [coffee]) at a Tully’s coffee house. I saw a young boy, nearly ten years old, walk straight up to the supervisor’s register and order a coffee. Not only was he too young to be drinking coffee, but the ‘little man’ handed the supervisor a twenty dollar bill. I remember thinking, I never had that kind of cash on me as a little boy. Later, I asked the supervisor if it was common for kids these days to bring in that large of cash—by themselves. To this, the supervisor told me “Yeah, I know. I never had money like that either. But one time a kid came in here with a hundred dollar bill—

“To break it?” I interrupted. “No, he was buying coffee for his friends,” said the supervisor.

So, where in the world are the old men drinking their coffee? Well, if you take into account that men are being booted out of their jobs, then one doesn’t have to think to far to conclude that the men don’t have money to buy coffee. But that’s just one take on it. I was thinking, rather, that it is something more along the lines of ‘atmosphere’. That’s right. The average café or coffee house is so loud you cannot even hear the coffee brewing (Let alone realize your own thoughts).

Let us be honest… coffee is not good for children. Caffeine consumed by children has a down hill effect—the kids burn out when they reach their seats in the classroom. Coffee creates nervousness, and the inability to pay attention in the long run of a child’s academic pursuit. I know this is true, because I was a coffee drinking youth (but I got my coffee on the go from a donut shop; and not from a coffee house—those were for older people).

Advice for old time coffee drinkers

If you’re an oldster (and I use this term most affectionately), please come back to the café! And in large numbers! No, but seriously, the best you can do is get to the coffee shop bright an early. I’ve found it to be best around 7 o’clock in the morning at some coffee shacks.  

Advice for coffee shop owners/ managers

Remove advertisements that display juicy, fruity, and high sugar concentrated drinks from the windows, doors, and billboards. Locate your coffee shop away from schools! And stop making those fruity drinks. It’s a coffee shop! Not a juice stop! I know we’re all in the business of making money, but consider the future. Where will you go to get away from all the noise when you’re old? In short, give the coffee shops back to those who have reached the age of majority.

Advice for parents

Don’t encourage children to drink coffee. Once your kids are in high school they’ll have enough to worry about with peer pressure (and drugs like marijuana and alcohol being pushed on them in many public schools across America [Sadly, Japan is picking up on the trend of the latter]).

Tell your kids to drink water. If the children think water plain tasting, add lemon or orange for flavoring. Keep your kid away from soda. Once a kid gets hooked on soda pop or cola, it’s too late. They’ll move on to other caffeinated drinks, such as coffee. Decaffeinated tea is alright. In fact, a good serving of Oolong tea will reduce fat after meals (especially with the highly greasy foods that American children eat these days).