CONVERSATION COFFEEHOUSE CULTURE FRIDAY DEC 04, 06:30 PM |
A conversation on the survival of a venerable pretension.
Participants: Michael Idov (author, former owner of Café Trotzky), Aaron Hagedorn and Lenka Opalena (Café OST), Frederick Morton (author), and Marius Dogodan (Café Demel) in conversation with Martin Rauchbauer.
The coffeehouse has a long tradition in many cities of the world. In Vienna, the coffeehouse is more than just a place that serves coffee. It is a meeting point for Viennese people from all social backgrounds and has a long tradition of being essential for Vienna’s artistic and intellectual life. In New York, coffeehouses have become very popular in recent years, reflecting a fundamental change in attitudes of Americans towards coffee and its social significance. It is not only the drink that New Yorkers cherish; it is the fantasy of a distinctive life-style that surrounds today’s coffee houses. They allow customers to experience the sensation of having privacy in a public place, or, as the Viennese writer Alfred Polgar famously said: “A coffeehouse is a place for people who want to be alone but need company for it."
Many people believe that serving sophisticated espressos and lattes ought to be a highly profitable enterprise, whether for big multinational chains like Starbucks or for individual owners. But are they right? Michael Idov who owned a short-lived Viennese-style coffeehouse in New York’s Lower East Side in 2005, has written a novel based on his experience. “Ground Up” is the story of a young couple and their dream of opening a truly Viennese coffeehouse in New York.
Good Coffee will be served.
This event is presented in conjunction with the Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation.
VENUE
ACFNY
