Coffee houses were first seen in Mecca and it quickly turned in to establishments where music, dancing and gossip could me enjoyed. Venetian s brought the coffee to Europe and in 1645 the first European coffee house was opened in Venice. Today, coffee has grown to be one of the most important commodities in world trade. Millions of people, especially in developing countries, earn their living from the coffee industry. In 1995, more than 400 billion cups of coffee were consumed.
Coffee is now the world s most popular beverage and a world commodity that is second only to oil.
C offee is today part of our lifestyle and culture. Coffee houses, caf s and bars are scattered across the country. Today, a Starbucks or any other of the many coffee houses or caf s can be found in almost every street corner. Coffee has become an important part of our social life and coffee houses are gathering places for social activities. According to the Yellow pages Nanaimo has around 20 coffee houses or caf s, but I m sure there is many more.