Albania may be one of the countries with the lowest income per capita and the lowest wages in Europe, but this does not prevent it from being the second country in the world after Spain for the largest number of coffee bars per 100 thousand residents.
While there were a total of 104 thousand businesses in the country at the end of 2015, uniquely around 18% of the total businesses in Albania are coffee bars and restaurants...
A foreigner, who comes to Albania for the first time, one of the things that impresses him the most is the high number of cafes, which are found on every corner, as well as the extended hours, which keep customers sitting in a bar.
"When I first came here, I was surprised how people could sit for more than an hour at the table with just a cup of coffee in the morning. In Italy, they don't stay more than 10 minutes, even to eat lunch they don't stay more than 20 minutes or half an hour", says Valeria, an employee at the embassy.
The comparative figures seem to justify this surprise. Albania may be one of the countries with the lowest per capita income and lowest wages in Europe, but this does not prevent it from being the second country in the world, after Spain, for the highest number of coffee bars per 100 thousand inhabitants.
According to the latest INSTAT data, the number of coffee shops in Albania at the end of 2015 was 13,612. With a population of 2.88 million inhabitants, Albania has 473 coffee bars per 100 thousand inhabitants.
According to the data processed by Monitor, the only country in the world that surpasses us is Spain, which is ranked as the country with the highest number of coffee bars in the world, in relation to the population. In Spain there are 270 thousand coffee bars for 46 million inhabitants, or 587 coffee bars per 100 thousand inhabitants, much higher than other countries, which for the most part have less than 200 coffee bars per 100 thousand inhabitants , according to global statistics. The two classic products of Spain, writes El Mundo, that play the main role are: beer and coffee and it seems that this will not change for some time. http://www.onthepulse.es/life-in-spain/spain-has-more-bars-inhabitant-any-other-country-160628.
Spain is approached only by Albania, with 473 coffee bars and Cyprus. The latter used to hold the record, but due to the crisis of recent years, many bars have closed. In Cyprus, the number of coffee bars has fallen in recent years from 7,500 to just over 5,600, according to a report on hospitality in Europe by HOTREC. With a population of 1.19 million inhabitants, Cyprus has 470 bars per 100 thousand inhabitants, a figure close to Albania.
While in Spain and Cyprus there is a very high level of tourism, spread throughout the year, which are among the main consumers of bars, in Albania, for the most part, the customers are locals. Opening a coffee bar, even under the palace, was the simplest way that many Albanians thought of making money, or simply surviving. Although many go bankrupt, even more new ones are opened. According to INSTAT, in 2015, the number of coffee bars increased by 31%, from about 10.4 thousand to 13.6 thousand, so the net addition was about 3200 new coffee bars (in this figure there are also small bars that can be formalized, after the tax action in the last quarter of 2015). Yes, according to INSTAT, the number of restaurants at the end of 2015 was 4,061, which also increased by 22%.
While there were a total of 104 thousand businesses in the country at the end of 2015, uniquely around 18% of the total businesses in Albania are coffee bars and restaurants.
Valeria's statement is more correct. In Italy, according to data from Fipe (Federazione Italiana Pubblici Esercizi) there are 149,885 bars that are active. With a population of about 60 million inhabitants, Italy has about 250 coffee bars per 100 inhabitants, or almost half of Albania.
Even in the main states or cities, the number of bars in relation to the population is much lower than the record holders of Spain, Albania and Cyprus.
In Amsterdam there are 63.5 bars per 100 thousand inhabitants, according to the Trade Association for Horeca and Catering, in Berlin 36, in Brussels 148.3, in London 32, in Istanbul itself 2.1, in New York 32.5, in Paris 27.2, Stockholm 19.1, in San Paolo 133.3. The highest is in Seoul with 186.4, Tokyo 216.5, Rio De Janeiro 191 etc. http://www.worldcitiescultureforum.com/data/number-of-bars-per-100000-population
Around the world, coffee bars are changing beyond the traditional, to adapt to the new tastes of consumers. Many are offering breakfast, fruit and vegetable juices and combos, gluten-free products, vegetarian and vegan food, specialty gin, cocktails, craft beer, and more.
Even in Albania there are some trends to introduce innovations, such as juices and cocktails, or croissants for breakfast, but for the most part they remain traditional, where the most consumed product is coffee, which costs on average 60-60 cents of the euro, among the cheapest in Europe.
According to INSTAT, the total number of seats in Albanian bars and restaurants is about 599 thousand (598,872), which means that more than 20% of the population can sit in them at the same time.
