In the economy of a restaurant, coffee represents an almost negligible income, indeed it is often seen as an inevitable cost to be minimized. Many restaurateurs therefore tend to save on the blend, not reserving the attention to its choice that they instead devote to other products (just think of wine).
In addition, restaurants generally lack staff with minimal coffee specialization. Often the preparation of the espresso is entrusted to several people, with the result of uneven extractions. To make the situation worse, there is also the tendency to produce many cups of espresso and to serve them all at once, to minimize the time between the table and the counter. Not infrequently you see old equipment with poor cleaning and maintenance. Too often, more coffee is ground than necessary to speed up the service and then left exposed to oxidation between lunch and dinner or even between dinner and lunch the next day.
Fortunately, there is also a very small number of restaurateurs who have understood that coffee is a way to say goodbye to the customer and who invest in the product. The most virtuous are trained, buy quality blends and keep the equipment in order. There are those who also offer alternative extractions to espresso, such as filter or moka pot. Or those who prefer good quality capsules and pods.
Photo by Unsplash / Jessie McCall
If you have any questions about coffee in Italy, leave them in the comments and we will be happy to answer them!