The preferred social network for Italians? No, it’s not Facebook. It’s not Twitter. It’s not even virtual. It’s the Italian bar (cafe).
According to a report presented by FIPE (Italian Federation of Restaurant Businesses), one of the few things Italians just won't give up is “fare un salto al bar”: stopping by the cafe for breakfast or the mid-morning break, newspaper open on the counter, chitchatting with the barista on the latest political scandal or the soccer game.
According to the report, Italians spend 35% of their entire food shopping at cafes and restaurants, while the European average is 32%. This doesn’t mean the economic crisis hasn’t affected sales in the industry, which has lost a total of 1.2 billion euro.
Lombardy is the Italian region with the highest number of bars, 30,000, followed by Veneto, Lazio and Campania.
According to the report, la colazione al bar (breakfast) remains the favorite treat, with coffee and croissant still the top choice (average cost 2.60 euro).
The most expensive coffees? They can be found in Emilia-Romagna, where they cost above 1 euro. The cheapest are in Bari, Reggio Calabria and Cagliari.
