The urban areas of Jammu have witnessed the fast growth of coffee cafes (coffee bars - hang out term) and nowadays bunch of youth is found socializing there. The atmosphere you find at these coffee cafes reminds us of those days when sitting in college canteens was famous for fun moments, meetings, and first-time dates. These days affordable coffee spaces have successfully replaced the college canteen culture for the present generation of youth. Such coffee-serving places are acting as youth centers and the beauty is that it has also created a new way to hang out for Jammuites of different age groups. Interestingly, what previously appeared as world-class cafe culture is now being served at many cafes in Jammu.
It all started somewhere with Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) which led to a surge in the popularity of coffee largely among the tea-drinking population of Jammu. People are found sitting at coffee shops and having discussions to solve social, political problems and answering questions, and planning to deal with issues that may arise soon. You may even find some people sitting alone and enjoying their cups of coffee. As the reasons are different for visiting the cafe, taking a break is a routine for many coffee lovers. And this is not something found on weekends but is an everyday scene. The love for coffee and for daylong socializing in cafes with family and friends has become part of the social ecosystem of Jammu.
The modern coffee culture has brought a love for ‘espresso’ with some coffee bars remaining open till late at night. In Jammu, some people have incorporated ‘coffee nights’ as part of their routine to enjoy nighttime with friends peacefully amid relaxing fun. From morning to night, the sentiment at these cafes remains high which can be measured by the number of empty cups on the tables. Jammuites have developed a desire among all to linger longer in cafes and coffee-drinking consumers are spending money at these neighborhood joints as a habit just like the people living in metros. Local youth is pairing croissants with espresso, latte, and filter coffees. Coffee culture is getting interwoven into daily life to get enjoyment at the highest level.
With this cafe owners are also spending to build wide open spaces and beautiful interiors with facilities like free wifi-books to push consumers to spend extra time enjoying. Competition is high amid new places opening continuously to add to the rising cafe culture. In a little over 5 years, Jammu has transformed itself into a coffee city. These coffee bars have become places to meet, think, talk, and drink coffee. Jammu’s new hang-out places have become fascinating and are giving clear expressions of changing culture. The best part is that such places offer people a chance just to be themselves away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. And with such leisure found greeting them on every visit it seems nothing would compel them to shift base to sip their drink.
