Coffeehouses are a standard meeting place for citizens of a neighborhood, whether it’s students on their way to school with their friends or adults before work or stepping out of work throughout the day. I think that a major difference I have noticed in American coffeehouses is that in the U.S., coffeehouses often focus on convenience. Big drinks are given to send you off on your way, often rushed and almost always made to-go, usually without asking. You walk into a coffee shop and everybody is isolated, working on their devices or reading. In fact, it often feels rude to socialize in American coffee shops, since they feel like unspoken hubs for productivity. Conversely, in Italy, coffee shops seem like a key way to keep the community together, with an unwritten code for ordering and drinking your coffee.
My experience in Italy so far as a serious coffee drinker has brought me into many coffee shops. It is traditional for people to quickly sip their espresso "al banco" or "at the bar," because it costs almost double to sit at a table. The heavenly Italian cappuccino is a favorite of mine, but it is a kind of unspoken standard that you cannot order one after about 11 AM. They are most often consumed standing at the bar or sitting down, and are not often taken to go. Italian tradition believes it is bad for digestion to consume hot milk after meals or in the evening, so most Italians don't add milk to their afternoon coffee.
