He thought his coffee was too expensive—so he called the police, and they agreed

Italians don’t joke about coffee. But on May 16, 2022, in Florence, the sacred daily ritual of sipping an espresso took a dramatic turn—one that even the most seasoned baristas wouldn’t have brewed up. In a country where a cup is considered practically a constitutional right, would you ever believe that a police officer, not a barista, would hand you the bill?

Florence, Decaf, and a Double Take

Let’s set the scene: a small café in Florence, the Ditta Artigianale. A customer walks in, orders a decaffeinated coffee (yes, even in Italy, someone dares). He drinks it—maybe savoring, maybe just caffeinating—and heads to the counter, wallet in hand. The barista rings up the total. The customer blinks. Two euros for a single espresso? His Italian blood boils faster than the coffee machine. Outraged, he takes a step no manual or etiquette book covers: he dials the police.

If you’re thinking this is a sitcom plot, you’d be forgiven. But Italy takes its caffè more seriously than most things in life. And, as the caffeine-fueled drama unfolds, the customer’s complaint falls on very attentive ears.

The Law Steps In

The police arrive, no cappuccino in hand but with an eye for justice. What was their decision? Surprisingly, they side with the saintly seeker of fair coffee pricing. Why? Here’s the catch: the price of espresso wasn’t displayed anywhere on the menu, which in this cozy café was tucked behind the counter. According to local rules, customers must be able to see what they’re getting into—before taking that first precious sip.

The penalty? Not just a gentle slap on the wrist. The café’s manager is handed a hefty fine of 1,000 euros. Ouch. The stunned owner, perhaps still nursing his own double shot of disbelief, shares his story on Instagram, adding one more jolt to the social media feeds of coffee lovers across Italy.

Coffee: Cultural Icon, Battleground for Prices

To outsiders, coffee might be just a beverage. To Italians, it’s the beating heart of daily life—a symbol of togetherness, an energizing pause, a pleasure no inflation can rob. Espresso is so central that Italy has even sought UNESCO heritage status for it. The classic Italian espresso is, by long tradition, sold for about one euro. No surprise, then, that the two-euro price tag from Ditta Artigianale seemed, well, downright scandalous.

For this particular customer, paying double the usual proved too bitter to swallow, and he acted—leading to that now famous fine. But this is more than a story about one person’s decaffeinated drama. The incident puts a spotlight on wider fears: An Italian consumer association, quoted by the Guardian, worries that such sky-high prices may soon be the new norm. The cause? A confluence of trouble:

• Soaring inflation rates (up 6.2% in April)
• Supply chain headaches
• Poor coffee harvests

Some predict the usual espresso could soon set you back 1.50 euros per shot. For anyone counting, that’s a 50% hike—and in a country where some 30 million espressos are consumed every single day, people are going to notice. Italians might shrug at late trains, but don’t mess with their coffee budget.

The Owner’s Take—and a Nation’s Dilemma

The owner of the Ditta Artigianale café, stung by the penalty, insists that nobody should be scandalized by paying two euros (or even a tad more) for an espresso. To his mind, it’s a sign of the times. But when a nation drinks 30 million cups each day, a little price bump doesn’t go down easily. This incident captures not just a personal dispute, but a moment of collective anxiety for coffee lovers everywhere.

Whether inflation will force Italians to change their coffee habits remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: the sacred cup isn’t going away without a fight. Lesson learned? In Italy, always check the menu, but never underestimate how far someone will go to defend the honor of their daily espresso.