In search of kaffe in Norway.

Is it just me, or does this logo look strangely familiar?

As you would expect in a cosmopolitan city such as Oslo, a lot of businesses found in the States can also be found here. McDonald's, Burger King, 7-Eleven, and TGI Fridays all have a foothold here, as do Timberland, Benetton, The Body Shop, and Lush. However, one thing you will not find here, somewhat surprisingly, is Starbucks. I say surprising because Norwegians consume the most coffee per capita of any country on the planet. In the absence of one of the most ubiquitous mainstays of my former Seattle life, I search for coffee, or rather the experience I've associated with going for coffee.

The most common place to get coffee in Oslo are individual, family-owned, or small-business shops. These are not usually coffee houses per se; rather, they are bakeries or cafes. Based on my limited observations, Norwegians usually frequent them for a pastry and coffee for breakfast, an open-faced sandwich and coffee for lunch, a pastry and coffee for a midday snack, or a treat and coffee after work. Most of these places do not seem to be open in the evenings, so no dessert and coffee for them - they are missing out, man.

There are a few coffee-specific chains here that are Scandinavian-based; one I often notice is Kaffebrenneriet. There's one around the corner from our apartment and is almost always busy. The other chain I can't help noticing for obvious reasons is Wayne's Coffee. Wayne's is actually a Swedish company (although I have a hard time believing there is any Swede named Wayne). They don't have the market saturation in Oslo that Starbucks has in Seattle, but apparently they are also seeking out world domination (well, they have a store in China, does that count?). G and I went to Wayne's Coffee today for the first time. It looks like a Starbucks, and they also have a wide variety of hot and cold espresso drinks, pastries, sandwiches, and salads. They have plush chairs and little tables, reminiscent of Starbucks. And they do bill themselves as an, "American-style oriented coffee shop." I did not have any coffee there, though; we just stopped for a snack for G. I will admit that even though the pastries looked irresistible, the sandwiches paled in comparison to the Seattle coffee giant's offerings.

With so many good little bakeries and cafes, does it matter if Starbucks is here or not? Probably not. Frankly, I spend my days trying to get back on the no-caffeine wagon I joined about two and a half years ago (it's hard to wake up without caffeine if the sun isn't even willing to roll above the horizon before 9 a.m., you know?). And I am sure Norwegians are satisfied even without Starbucks. In fact, some of them are wholeheartedly against the addition of yet another foreign company to their landscape of Norwegian-ism - and I applaud them for wanting to maintain their culture. Sure there are a few movements to try and get Starbucks in Norway, but as far as I know there are no plans to move into this market anytime soon. At least, no one's asked me about it. :-)

I think what I miss about Starbucks is the ritual and the familiarity of it. It was comforting to be able to walk in and order what I knew I liked. At work, we would often stop at Starbucks before heading out to the field. During the holidays, I delighted in the appearance of the red seasonal cups, and treated myself to a decaf eggnog latte and a slice of gingerbread on occasion. Not having those things as part of my day-to-day isn't horrible; it's just different. Should I just embrace the local culture and adopt a local shop? Of course. Starbucks is just a little piece of Americana I'm not ashamed to admit missing as I settle into my new life.

Maybe I should see what this Kaffebrenneriet place is all about. Or just head back to Åpent Bakeri...mmm...raisin roll...

Har det.