Can a tea country be a coffee country?

Türkiye was known as the 'tea country' in the world with its annual tea consumption of nearly 3 and a half kilos. However, in recent years, coffee consumption has increased rapidly and reached over 2 kilos per person annually. A coffee shop opens in almost every vacant place, and thin-waisted glass cups are replaced by cardboard cups.

There are factors in the increase in coffee consumption such as the global coffee culture becoming more influential in Turkey, the spread of coffee chains and third generation coffee shops, and changes in consumption habits. In addition to changing working and lifestyles, social media has also been effective in increasing coffee culture.

Assoc. Dr. Tan says that in their research, young people and young adults, people living in cities, office workers, university students and people from high income groups prefer coffee. Tan explains the following:

"There is a very strong connection between coffee and socialization. This connection is clearly seen in both traditional and modern forms," ​​said Assoc. Ahmet Tan comments, "Coffee has increasingly become a means of spending time together. In this respect, the rise of coffee culture is closely related to the change in socialization styles in Turkey." While cafes are becoming social spaces, there are also factors such as coffee making conversation easier and an excuse to meet. Additionally, traditional culture associates coffee with socializing. The saying "A cup of coffee is remembered for forty years" is an aphorism of this.

The coffee habit is not fundamentally a brand addiction. However, brands have a significant impact on the formation of this habit and increase in consumption. Tan says that people generally turn to coffee with the need for caffeine, taste, energy, pleasure and socialization, and that the atmosphere of the place, presentation style, product variety and service quality are other factors. While brands stand out among young consumers to represent the 'lifestyle and social environment', coffee is still consumed mostly at home. Tan said, "In a study we conducted in 2023, we determined that 62 percent of the participants drink their coffee at home and 38 percent drink it outside. Of those who drink coffee outside, 30.6 percent drink it once a week, and 26.4 percent drink it outside 2-4 times. Drinking coffee outside is now a common habit in our country, but drinking coffee at home is still dominant for the average consumer. As a matter of fact, an industry data published in 2025 shows that the consumption of espresso-based coffee is 100 percent." He states that 45 percent of coffee consumption takes place at home and 14 percent in cafes. As the coffee culture grows, consumption is not only shifting to cafes, but with the widespread use of coffee machines, consumption at home is also getting stronger.” he says.

Traditional Turkish coffee was drunk in small cups. Jug-sized cardboard cups began to appear in chain coffee shops. Tan says that behind this is marketing logic as well as consumer expectations. The large glass gives the consumer the feeling of “more product, more experience”. This expectation is increased with milk, ice and other additives. Tan continues his words as follows:

Source: TRT Haber Yaşam RSS (Open Press / Translated Full Text)