An Italian café has been fined after a customer became steamed up and called police after being charged €2 ($3) for a decaffeinated coffee.
The customer complained that the price was not displayed on a menu behind the counter of Ditta Artigianale in Florence, the capital city of Italy’s Tuscany region, resulting in the €1,000 (AUD$1,500) fine.
The café’s owner Francesco Sanapo expressed his displeasure on social media.
“They fined me because somebody got offended for paying €2 for a decaffeinated coffee [which involves a water extraction process]. Can you believe it?” Francesco said in a video while holding up a letter from the police.
“Even today, someone can get so annoyed that they mobilise the police, who find us to be in the wrong due to an outdated law. This law must be changed because otherwise 99.9% of bars and restaurants would easily fall foul of it.”
In Italy, the average cost of an espresso is €1, although more than 70 per cent of bars increased prices earlier in the year due to supply chain issues and poor harvests. Consumer groups warned that the price of an espresso could rise to an average €1.50 this year.
All the customer had to do was ask for the price – why is that so hard?
