The Development and Growth Coffeehouses

The development and growth of coffeehouses started during the middle of the 17th century. It was during this time when England was taken by storm with the introduction of coffee and coffeehouses. People from all walks of life from the poor to the noble gathered together in coffeehouses for their business talks and day talks. Anything that can be discussed over a cup of coffee are all done in coffeehouses. The advent of coffeehouses was like a cataclysm that flooded all over England that begun the opening of the first coffeehouse in Oxford.

The first coffeehouses in Oxford were commonly called "penny universities" because people entering the coffeehouses during those times used pennies to pay for their entrance. Men around the country are basically seen in coffeehouses discussing their businesses for the day while women were not allowed entry in coffeehouses.
The ambiance of English coffeehouses during this period emanates a relaxed atmosphere, virtually inexpensive and served as place for academic learning where people from different social classes are always welcome.

Angel was the first coffeehouse to be established in Oxford and is now known as the "The Grand Cafe" building. It was owned by Jacob a Jewish who established it during the 1650s. It was followed by the Queen’s Lane Coffeehouse in 1654 which is still in existence until today.

With the establishment of coffeehouses in Oxford, their popularity rapidly spread in London. Pasqua Rosée opened the the first coffeehouse in 1652 and established Paris’ first coffeehouse in 1672 as well and monopolized the city’s coffee. This was followed by the Temple Bar. The rise of English coffeehouses in the city began when the Harrington’s Rota Club began their meetings at the Turk’s Head coffee shop.

The coffee shop business flourished in England with the establishment of more than 3,000 coffeehouses in 1675. One of the most popular coffeehouses during that time was Will’s Coffeehouse which was frequently visited by Samuel Pepys. While Lloyd’s coffeehouse is open 24 hours and was frequently visited by seafarers, shipwrights and marine underwriters. Then there’s the Child’s Coffeehouse which was often full with clergies and doctors. The Widows Coffeehouse was put up by actress Nell Gwyne, the mistress of King Charles II.

Café Procope which still exists until today was established in Paris in 1686 after the monopoly of coffee by Pasqua Rosée. The first modern encyclopedia was said to be born here. Finally, the popularity of coffeehouses reached America in 1676 and the very first one was opened in Boston. The rise of coffeehouses in Europe continued and gave birth to the first coffeehouse in Vienna in 1685 and was called Blue Bottle Coffee House owned by Johannes Theodat.

During the 17th century coffee was basically made by putting ground coffee in water and boiling it and only in the middle of the nineteenth century that percolators were introduced. And it was only during the early 20th century that coffee taste better if boiling water was added to the coffee grounds. And this started the history of brewing coffee. Nowadays, various methods of grinding, measuring and brewing of coffee had evolved.

The rise of coffeehouses during the 17th century was quite extensive and people all over Europe have made coffeehouses as their rendezvous for meetings, discussions and debates which until today is still being practiced.