Necessity being the mother of invention, the financial crisis has birthed many new business ideas as people seek innovative sources of money in difficult times. The opening of Greece’s first tasseography coffee shop is one such inspiration.
Tasseography is a fortune-telling method that interprets the residues at the bottom of a cup of coffee or tea, and is a very popular tradition in Greece and the Middle East, dating back to the 16th century. Some people who believe that shapes created by coffee grinds or tea leaves in the bottom of the cup can help predict the future, and with people willing to spend money on anything that might solve their problems, the coffee-reading business is flourishing in countries like Greece and Turkey.
Until recently, tasseography was mainly practiced by “amateurs” in house gatherings for fun, but now Greek journalist Mairi Kontolouri has decided to open a coffee reading business in a suburb of Athens, where customers can “legally and without any concerns learn about their future.”
“I opened ‘Flitzani’ (Greek for cup) as a hangout place for coffee, drinks and fortune-telling, which is practiced here by professional fortune-tellers. I think that I revived the idea of the old female group going out for gossip, although many men also visit the place,” said the journalist in an interview.
“Our schedule is always fully booked and people even organize day trips to the countryside to get the chance to learn about their future. I believe that tasseography is some kind of spa, cheering people up and driving away misery. All our customers are very satisfied from the fortune-tellers and their interpretations,” added Kontolouri.
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