Coffee Shop vs. Tea Shops: Serving Coffee and Tea!

Coffee and tea are two beverages that had become either competing substitutes or complementary substitutes.  As the years passed being both a tea drinker and a coffee drinker, here is what I have observed:


I would admit I'm an occasional coffee shop goer unless if the prices are high because of taste and size.  On the other hand, I have noticed that while I went there for coffee, I was surprised to find some Eastern and Western tea items in the menu.  When I went to Coffee Bean, I was even surprised to find Cold Matcha there.


Meanwhile the milk tea craze started... which I would admit that milk tea stations may may also serve coffee and some of them serve coffee milk tea which originated in Hong Kong.  While Chatime serves mostly tea items due to its nature, but you cannot deny it also serves warm and cold coffee as a regular in the menu.

I would like to think of theories here.  Coffee and tea are both substitutes to each other which makes coffee shops and tea shops competitors.  Some people who may have health problems aren't allowed to drink coffee.  Others prefer both coffee and tea.  As a result, coffee shops as to avoid running out of customers who go there for ambiance and to relax, offers tea items to those who may be forbidden from drinking coffee.  On the other hand, some tea shops have also served coffee since the coffee shops are serving tea to even out the competition.

Comments