Coffee Craze in Karachi.The News International - Kolachi.

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Coffee craze in Karachi

Going out for coffee has become a favourite Karachi pastime over the last few years, which provides Karachiites with the chance to catch up with friends, gossip, or just sit back and relax

By Aqsa Hussain

Karachi has certainly something very unique about it apart from being the biggest Pakistani city. Karachiites appear to be nocturnal creatures with a never ending yen for fun. Be it a restaurant, a hotel, a fast food hangout, a coffee shop or a chai ka dhaba; Karachiites, especially the younger lot can be found hanging around at any given time of the day.

A few years back one would choose a place like Area 51 or Evolution for a little get together and downtime with friends. Over time though, preferences have changed and with the mushrooming of coffee places all over the city, Karachiites have found a new obsession. 'Going out for coffee' has become a familiar phrase and common phenomenon.

There is also the 'cool factor' attached to being a coffee freak. Coffee shops in Karachi provide a lovely atmosphere in which one can completely kick back and relax, albeit for a high price. Those who frequent coffee jaunts tend to find their pockets considerably lighter at the end of the day. But the cool comfort of these shops is worth the price one has to pay to enjoy it.

Coffee shops in Karachi attract all sorts of people. The morning crowd usually comprises of teenagers bunking school, or housewives trying to get over a chaotic morning. Lots of young professionals prefer to have informal meetings at these shops. One can also often spot the young and the broken-hearted, nursing their wounds and hashing their issues out over cups of coffee. There are those who sit aloof with a laptop for company and those who raise a little hell with their friends. It is not just the coffee that is attractive at coffee shops, the opportunity to people-watch is a great pull as well.

Being a Public Relations student, one benefits from these coffee shops at an academic level too. For answers to surveys, quotes and views of the public, coffee shops seem to be the best place to go. People more often than not smilingly answer all questions which is quite a confidence booster.

U and Me Coffee, Espresso, Costa Coffee, The Elbow Room, Indulge, Café Coffee Day, Cafe 9, Avenue Art, The Grapevine at the Pearl Continental hotel have successfully created a niche for themselves. Zamzama is of course flooded with cool coffee shops but areas like Tariq Road have coffee shops like Kahva and Roasters too.

"Coffee and sandwiches make a good meal to catch up over with friends," says Fariha smilingly as she walks into Costa Coffee with friends, "it beats inviting people over for dinner!"

Fariha feels coffee shops offer much more than just coffee. "They aren't just coffee shops, you see," she says, "they have everything. I come here to gossip with my buddies and have fun. For further motivation, the variety in their menu keeps me coming back for more!"

Interestingly, many Karachiites prefer dhabay ki chai over gourmet coffee. Rabya, a university student and aspiring journalist says, "tea is generally consumed more here, I would prefer to see more chai shops or dhabas than coffee houses."

A few tea lovers enjoy spending their time in open air dhabas at Nipa, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Nursery etc.

"The feeling at uncle's dhaba is inexplicable, the doodh-patti is amazing. I missed it a lot while I was in USA, nothing can taste better than this dhaba tea," says Adnan, sipping his favourite beverage at a dhaba near Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Adnan has recently come home from America and loves the fare offered by dhabas and thela walas. Coffee shops give him a feeling of being in a foreign land again. He can even go to a dhaba in his night suit, which he loves.

Romances often blossom at coffee shops, this brings to mind the lines: "Where lovers first love and then marry/ Where there is place for every Tom, Dick and Harry."

Zaid personifies these lines, as he sits at his favourite coffee shop, Espresso. "I've been to most of the coffee shops in town," he says, "but I love Espresso the best, as I have some fabulous memories attached to this place. I can sit here for hours without company as I find the atmosphere very romantic."

The city of lights with a throbbing night and a busy day life has a vibrant cultural life as well, which is widely appreciated by outside observers. Faiza Rehman, when asked why Karachiites embrace every trend so enthusiastically, especially the coffee craze, says, "Its difficult determine a generalized attitude because of the socio-economic disparities and cultures all thriving in one city." But it is because of this diversity that Karachiites adapt to everything easily. With so much happening in one city at the same time and everyone working hard to keep up with it, it is a blessing that Karachiites have coffee shops to bank on to help them unwind!