Forgotten by the Turks
According to several legends, coffee owes its popularity to a
few sacks of coffee left behind by the Turks during their retreat from Vienna.
In the West, coffee became popular and in Venice, it is believed the
first coffee shop opened in 1640. It was an instant success and both the coffee
shop and the beverage itself spread in every Italian city. Within a short time it was also in
demand on the other side of the Alps, in the fashionable cities of Vienna, Marseilles and London.
Although the tradition of coffee in the Arab world dates back much further, its global
success was determined by its introduction to the West.
United States
