Berlin Coffee Shop Bans Strollers, Milk, Sugar
Although the San Francisco coffee shop that tried (to no avail) to ban "hipster topics" seemed extreme, the Barn Roastery in Berlin most definitely tops it with its new rules. No strollers, no milk, and definitely no sugar in your coffee, customers.
The Huffington Post and Eater point out the shop's Facebook and Twitter posts, which alerted customers to a bowling-pin-shaped concrete pole in front of the shop, to send baby strollers packing. "THE BARN Roastery is an industrial space and a brew bar for coffee connaisseurs [sic]," read one Facebook post (that spelled connoisseurs wrong — get it right, people). "As such we have created a space without music and laptops where people can talk or listen to each other. Our menu is very reduced and catered towards adults." The shop also noted that a number of strollers could get in the way of an emergency evacuation, and that children in the production area of the shop could be dangerous.
Of course, there's no explaining the purpose behind the milk and sugar bans behind the counter. "For us, it would be like adding milk to champagne to serve it any other way" besides black, read the "house rules" at Barn Roatery. And the shop also bans music and laptops, to encourage human interaction.
The rules have naturally caused a bit of an uproar on Facebook and Twitter, but the Barn Roastery did clarify on Twitter that the pole can be moved for those in wheelchairs unable to get in.