The endless need for coffee shops to sprout in Cardiff feels like a social symptom of the cost-of-living crisis partnered with a generation who are, even when they should be spending their teens and twenties finding themselves, being overworked simply to survive.
I’ve experienced this very thing for myself when, confronted with work schedules that dont line up at all, three people who would have much preferred to be in the pub had to settle for a 10am meeting at a coffee shop. Someone’s shift started at noon, someone else’s started at five. The possibility for a pint was dire, so we opted for colas and coffees. It is a symptom of a generation that fears budgeting as much as older generations feared God. The idea of a night out now brings feelings of checking bank apps and working out drinks for pres (highest alcohol percentage for least amount of money) instead of frivolity, a good time, and maybe the distant idea of a hangover in the morning. When previous generations could have a good time with no worries, unconcerned that the money they just spent on pints would have been better spent on electricity bills, Wi-Fi, or pesto pasta bought in the reduced section.
The coffee shop trip is just a further symptom of this, as coffee shops are cheaper than pints yet provide the same sort of vibe. It is like the meat substitute of pubs. It feels the same and may even look the same but it’ll never taste quite the same. There is always an argument to be made for why people should choose the coffee shop over the pub. There are health benefits and there is the lack of hangovers and late-night messages to your ex. However, with the continuing cost-of-living crisis, it is not a choice that is made for you. It is something that is forced on you by lack of funds and simply the way you’ve been overworked. Is it really a choice if you are being forced into it?
I think that, if there happens to be a loving god, and the bottom 99% of the population suddenly gains wealth again, pubs will be back on the upswing.