Coffee is The New Smoking

Not so long ago cigarette smoke was the lubricant for office gossip and strategic planning. People of all ranks would gather outside to smoke. Business relationships were forged, nurtured and transformed into partnerships.

Now that smoking has becoming increasingly outlawed and socially ostracised, its coffee’s turn.

The competitive advantage of being a coffee drinker extends much further than being able to work later or start earlier. It is a social catalyst that brings people together around a common cause. Some of my most important and memorable conversations have happened while walking along the Eerster River — takeaway coffee in hand.