Cafe Near Me

While a cafe may seem a simple to get coffee or speciality beverages, these coffeehouses also serve as centers of social interaction. Cafes provide patrons with places to talk, congregate, read, write, entertain, pass the time, and meet up with like minded individuals. Since the advent of Wi-Fi, many coffeehouses have also become work hubs for individuals who work from home or on a freelance basis.

Are you interested in finding a cafe near you? You’ve come to the right place! Simply browse cafe near me on the map below and find a list of cafes located within a close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on cafes? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and history on these social and cultural hubs.

Cafe Near Me – Find it on the Map

Cafe Near Me – Cafe Trivia

When did cafes first emerge in society?

Historians have come to some agreement on the history of both coffee and cafes. According to historical records, coffee was first roasted and brewed during the 156h century in the Arabian peninsula. The drink was an immediate hit with patrons who enjoyed the health benefits and the boost in energy levels. By the 16th century, coffeehouses and cafes began to pop up and emerge in the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East. While coffee was the center of these cafes, they were also known as venues for political discussion and storytelling. Of course, one can’t discuss the history of the coffee house without mentioning the role of the cafe in European history. Many believe that the first cafe in continental Europe emerged in Venice in 1629. Soon, England welcomed their first cafe in Oxford sometime around 1652. Thanks to their reputation as a place for both intellectual debate and drinks, cafes expanded rapidly. During the enlightenment era, public arenas such as cafes were valued as centers of discourse. A popular hangout for many enlightenment philosophers such as Voltaire and Rousseau was the Cafe Procope which first opened in Paris in 1686. The cafe still exists today. If you happen to be searching cafe near me while in Paris, go ahead and check out this historic hub of political rhetoric and coffee.

The perfect cafe is waiting for you!

When did cafes first appear in the United States?

In Europe, cafes played a major role in encouraging socialization, political discourse, and discussion. They proved a stable and relaxed environment for individuals to engage with one another without the influence of alcohol. When America was first colonized, the cafe was very quick to follow. The role of the American cafe was quite similar to those in Europe: they were hotspots for the political and business communities. In fact, the Tontine Coffee House, which came about in 1792 in New York, was the original location of the New York Stock Exchange. This is because so much of the business during that time was conducted in this cafe. The Founding Fathers were known to congregate in cafes near Philadelphia during the crafting of the Declaration of Independence. As you search cafe near me, consider just how important cafes truly were to society at large during these progressive eras in history.

Cafe Near Me – Cafe Facts

The Inventors of the Latte

Odds are if you’re searching cafe near me, you’re craving a coffee or latte drink. What you may not know on your search is who invented the latte and when it first made an appearance in cafes. Coffee and milk have always played a huge role in European cuisine, but public cafes in Europe and the US made no mention of the terms caffe latte or cafe au lait until the 20th century. The earliest mention of specialty coffee drinks came in the second half of the 1700s when Kapuziner was mentioned in Austrian coffee houses in both Vienna and Trieste. Kapuziner was a “coffee with cream, spices and sugar.” This is believed to be the origin of the Italian cappuccino. According to history, the French first mentioned cafe au lait was used in cafes from 1900 onwards, which quickly evolved into the French using the term cafe creme for coffee with milk or cream. In Italian, latte literally means “milk” which means ordering a “latte” in Italy will generally get a customer a glass of milk. In English speaking nations, latte is short for cafelatte, which is similar to cafe au lait and France and typically just means “coffee and milk.” The Caffe Mediterraneum in Berkeley, California claims that Lino Meiorin, one of its earliest owners is the true inventor the latte. He reportedly invented and made the latte a standard available drink in the 1950s. The latte then gained popularity and traction with cafes in Seattle, Washington in the early 1980s. The trend didn’t truly catch on until the early 1990s. Nowadays, lattes are some of the most popular drink options at the modern cafe. Coffee chains such as Starbucks are known for their unique latte offerings and seasonal flavor palettes.

The First Starbucks

If you’re searching cafe near me, you’ll probably run into more than one Starbucks on your journey to finding the perfect coffeehouse. The first Starbucks was opened in Seattle, Washington on March 31, 1971 by three partners who met while attending the University of San Francisco. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, were struck with the idea to sell high quality beans and roasting equipment to an entrepreneur named Alfred Peet. Peet taught them his style of roasting the beans for the best flavor quality. With some time and practice, the trio opened the first Starbucks location in Seattle, Washington at 2000 Western Avenue in 1971. The cafe was later moved to 1912 Pike Place and was never again relocated. During this time, the company only sold whole coffee beans and did not sell brewed coffee. In fact, the only brewed coffee served in the original Starbucks was the free samples. During their very first year of operation, the trio purchased green coffee beans from Peets, then soon began buying them directly from growers. The rest is coffeehouse history!