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pauxleto (Visa profilen) 11 februari 2012 20:45:39
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36lima (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 01:11:28
I've often thought it would be cool to open a coffee shop called Esperanta Kafejo with menu boards in Esperanto and with servers who could take orders in Esperanto.
Would be a good way to maybe spur some local interest and also give people who want to use the language a local place to hangout and improve their abilities. It could even have a lending library of Esperanto literature and have Muzaiko streaming in the background. Heck, I'd go there
Not really relevant to your initial post I suppose but the Esperanto fast food restaurant made me think about it.
erinja (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 01:45:53
36lima:I've often thought it would be cool to open a coffee shop called Esperanta Kafejo with menu boards in Esperanto and with servers who could take orders in Esperanto.It's an interesting idea; obviously no one here is proposing doing it for real, but I was sitting and imagining how non-Esperantists would respond to such a restaurant.
I have found that some Americans are offended by the idea of foreign language conversation;
Though the patrons of our "Esperanto" cafe would likely all be citizens of the local country, I wonder if the foreign language focus would attract negative attention from the "Speak [my local language] because it's rude for you to speak a language I don't understand" crowd.
I'm an avid reader of advice columns, and more than once I've seen people write in complaining about people having conversations in public, in languages other than English. Some people seem to think that they have the right to listen to anyone's conversation and understand it, even complete strangers in a public place.
SilverAu (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 02:20:35
erinja:This was my first thought, too. So many Americans are like this. :/ My dad is kind of like that... not to the extent that he gets irritated with strangers speaking other languages among themselves, but he is quick to get impatient with people in America who don't speak English well, and gets irrationally upset about things like seeing signs in other languages, or the idea of the American national anthem being translated into Spanish, etc...
I have found that some Americans are offended by the idea of foreign language conversation;
Though the patrons of our "Esperanto" cafe would likely all be citizens of the local country, I wonder if the foreign language focus would attract negative attention from the "Speak [my local language] because it's rude for you to speak a language I don't understand" crowd.
I'm an avid reader of advice columns, and more than once I've seen people write in complaining about people having conversations in public, in languages other than English. Some people seem to think that they have the right to listen to anyone's conversation and understand it, even complete strangers in a public place.
If there was an Esperanto-themed cafe in America... I imagine he would think it was a cool thing for the people who are interested in Esperanto, but he would have no interest in going there himself.
Other than him... I imagine a lot of people in the places I've lived (which tend to be pretty diverse and liberal) might not necessarily have a "THIS IS AMERICA, SPEAK ENGLISH" kind of attitude but more of a slight unease about feeling out-of-place in a cafe that's clearly aimed a culture/group they're not part of. Kind of like how some white people feel uneasy in hair salons that are mostly frequented by black people.
But it might depend on the atmosphere of such a place, too.
Anyway, that's just my opinion and I can only speak for America, and even then, only the places I live in.
It sounds like a super awesome idea, though, if difficult to pull off.
36lima (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 02:29:21
In my imaginary Kafejo, the servers would also take orders in English (don't want to alienate potential paying customers
). We'd just offer and encourage Esperanto service as well.As for customers being annoyed by people having conversations in Esperanto, I suppose it could happen and those folks would be free to not return
However, my local group used to meet in an Italian restaurant and, despite some odd looks occasionally, we never got any flak that I'm aware of (maybe at meetings I didn't attend but I never heard of it).
I would hope that people would be smart enough to not get their feathers ruffled with people speaking a foreign language in a cafe specifically oriented towards that activity. As long as management (me
) was consistent in their message that the Esperanto language activity was welcome and encouraged, I think the clientele would mainly consist of like-minded individuals (at least on the language front).There could be weekly meetings and short introductory classes with free coffee for attendees. I would sell T-shirts with the cafe logo and maybe a catchy slogan like "Monda Paco komencas kun cafo!" or "Cafo - La Fina Trinko!"
If it was me, I'd have fun with it
erinja (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 02:44:26
On the topic of foreign language conversations in public, I actually prefer it! Sometimes when I return home from a trip to a country where I don't speak the language, I miss the atmosphere of not understanding other people's conversations. When I return home and I understand every inane conversation going on around me, I often wish I didn't!
As far as restaurants go, there's a definite "hipster" factor to going into an ethnic restaurant where you're the only one not of that ethnic group. But many people would feel just plain uncomfortable about that.
Mustelvulpo (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 04:01:14
36lima:There could be weekly meetings and short introductory classes with free coffee for attendees. I would sell T-shirts with the cafe logo and maybe a catchy slogan like "Monda Paco komencas kun cafo!" or "Cafo - La Fina Trinko!"I like your ideas. Remember, it's "kafo" not "cafo." Also, "komenci" is transitive and the iĝ suffix is needed to use it intransitively. "Monda paco komenciĝas kun kafo" means that coffee is included in the beginning of world peace. I got the impression that your slogan is to mean that coffee is an instrument to help start world peace. If that's the case, "Monda paco komenciĝas per kafo" would be a better way to word it.
If it was me, I'd have fun with it
I really would love to see a coffee shop like this. I wish that there was more interst in Esperanto in the U.S.
Bemused (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 08:02:46
36lima:Perhaps the existence of such a place would encourage learning of Esperanto.
I've often thought it would be cool to open a coffee shop called Esperanta Kafejo with menu boards in Esperanto and with servers who could take orders in Esperanto.
Would be a good way to maybe spur some local interest and also give people who want to use the language a local place to hangout and improve their abilities. It could even have a lending library of Esperanto literature and have Muzaiko streaming in the background. Heck, I'd go there
I remember eating in French restaurants where those who ordered in French were considered cool, those who had to resort to English were tolerated.
The French speakers in any group therefore gained respect from non French speakers.
sudanglo (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 10:38:48
I refer to the phenomenon of the Polyglot Cafe or Café Polyglotte
In one of the cafés in Calais, every Tuesday evening, or so I was told by a French Esperantist, a table is set aside for those who wish to speak Esperanto. Though whether local serveuses have picked up enough Esperanto to take orders in that language I don't know.
See this link
1Guy1 (Visa profilen) 12 februari 2012 11:22:44
erinja: Some people seem to think that they have the right to listen to anyone's conversation and understand it, even complete strangers in a public place.That to me just highlights how useful Esperanto could be as a 'secret language' in situations where one doesn't wish to be overheard.
