Vienna: Rise of the Green Mermaid

Vienna was the original gateway for Europe's favorite drug, coffee. The Ottomans brought it with them when they invaded the city in the Middle Ages. Hey, they may have pillaged and plundered-- but they left some tasty, tasty brew. Eventually, the beverage migrated its way across Europe, including to Paris, where (so I've read) it has been partially credited for the sudden burst of mental activity called the Enlightenment.

With such a long history, the Viennese coffee house has understandably become an institution. And it doesn't get much older or more institutional than Café Sacher. This café, once home to the world's greatest chocolate cake (before HoHos were invented), now serves its rather dry sweets and overpriced coffee to tourists.

Across the street, a younger, hipper institution serves its dry sweets and overpriced coffee to tourists: Starbucks. In 2003, the company chose to locate its first branch in Vienna right across from one of the most venerated coffee houses in the city. The sheer ballsiness of Starbucks' move offended the Viennese, and the coffee Decepticon was not able to open as many locations as planned.

As far as I've seen, however, every Starbucks in the city (especially the one across from Sacher) is packed. And not just with tourists. It seems the Viennese have discovered the beauty of free wifi and portable coffee on a cold day. It's not quite as ubiquitous as in the States, but judging by the discrepancy between Vienna's initial disgust and its popularity today, it's only a matter of time before the green mermaid conquers all.