1000 euro fineA heated argument over the price of a cup of coffee got so out of hand in an Italian coffee bar that the police had to be called in. The owner was eventually fined 1000 euros for not advertising the price clearly enough.
The customer freaked out because to his surprise he had to pay 2 euros for a decaffeinated espresso. There was no price overview behind the bar and that is against the rules, he argued. Owner Francesco Sanapo of the bar Ditta Artigianale denies any scams and says his bar works with a digital menu. He is clear about the ‘high’ price of the espresso in a statement on Facebook: “The coffee comes from a Mexican plantation and is prepared with great professionalism by my staff.”
“Can you believe it?”
The average price of an espresso in Italy is around 1 euro, writes The Guardian. But rising inflation, logistical problems and poor coffee bean harvests mean customers have to expect higher prices for their coffee. Sanapo therefore does not understand the fine that he has to pay. “They fined me because someone was insulted that he had to pay 2 euros for a coffee. Can you believe it?” the owner says in a video, holding up a letter containing the fine.
“Even today, someone can become so annoyed that they alert the police, who are misleading us with an outdated law. This law must change, because otherwise almost all other catering establishments would also have to be thrown on the receipt.”
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This law must change, otherwise almost all other catering establishments must also be thrown on the receipt
The award-winning coffee bar in the center of Florence describes itself as the first Italian coffee bar specializing in quality coffee. According to owner Sanapo, his bar has been charging relatively high prices since it opened in 2013. “There were negative and positive reactions, but until now I had never been fined,” he says. “No one should be angry about paying 2 euros for an espresso.”
support
A local business association breaks a lance for the outraged bar owner. “This is something that touches me deeply,” said president Alessandro Vittorio Sorani. “There is a lot of work involved in producing a quality product. In the end we all reap the benefits.”
Customers also stand up for the owners on the coffee bar’s Facebook page. “If this client went to a bar in London, he would involve the FBI,” it said.
Spaghetti and lasagna
In addition to coffee, Italians will also pay a lot more for their spaghetti and lasagna in the near future. That is what the CEO of the pasta company Divella, Vincenzo Divella, warned in a conversation with the Italian financial daily. Il Sole 24 Orec† Producers are forced by higher costs to charge shops a higher price for their pasta.
According to Divella, the price of a kilo of pasta can rise to 38 percent in January compared to September. This is because durum wheat, from which pasta is made, has become much more expensive. Drought destroyed some of Canada’s crops last year. Italian farmers also had to deal with extreme weather.
Italians eat an average of 23 kilos of pasta per year. Alternatives have risen in price a lot less quickly. Life has generally become a lot more expensive in Italy lately. In December, inflation in the country was 4.2 percent. That is the highest level in more than ten years.
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