What is the love affair we have with coffee?

Everybody wants a cup of it and it is a part of our corporate culture -

How is the hospitality industry responding to this?

We drink coffee for various reasons. Some of them are- it tastes good, it gives us lift to stay up at night to work, and to wake up in the morning so they can get to work. No wonder we are so effective and hard working!

The tea drinkers, our competitors, on the other hand, assign no such mystical qualities to tea. It is drunk because they like the flavor, as an adjunct to food, or as a relaxing drink after the work- day is done.

But corporate America pushes coffee and we find coffee the first choice in our hotels and business meetings. Why? It taste good and make us active! We use it as a capitalistic instrument by makes us more productive and agile.

By most accounts, coffee contains more caffeine than tea. Caffeine is a stimulant. Historically, stimulants have been used by various groups to increase the productivity of their workers.

The Conquistadors, for example, found that indigenous people who chewed coca leaves worked more and ate less. They encouraged the practice because it was to their benefit to increase productivity. Less eating made for less breaks and longer workdays.

Is caffeine corporate America's version of the lowly coca leaf?  Most American companies either provides their workers with coffee, provide them with the equipment to make their own coffee, or allow them to take short breaks to go out and buy coffee. All our hotels rooms are coming with coffee machines and it help us to get increase our productivity and get back to work!

American workers, working longer hours are undoubtedly consuming more coffee. Starbuck's, one of the strongest retail coffee outlets, is experiencing excellent profits, no doubt due to the hardworking, caffeine-addicted, American workforce. I wonder how many CEO's have stock in the coffee industry! 

Coffee is good and thanks to our Hotels we are always productive even on our business trips. Hats off to a cup of coffee!

Jerry Cedicci is renowned Hotel and restaurant developer in Chicago land and LA market. He can be reached at www.pane-caldo.com Robin C. Trehan is a motivational speaker and knowledge management expert. He can be reached at robin@tafunds.com