Robert Birming

Don't f*ck with fika!

Coffee sign

Did you know that Sweden is one of the top 10 coffee-consuming countries in the world? We love coffee! Not just the coffee itself, but the whole experience. We love to fika.

I myself started drinking this delicious beverage quite late, when I was about 18 years old. I was working as a bricklayer and thought it was so rude to say no when the people who hired me wanted to offer me coffee. Slowly but surely I got stuck.

Today I work with home inspections and visit about five homes a day. The first customer today started by pouring himself a cup of coffee. After a while, he finally poured another cup - but again, just for himself and without asking if I wanted any. Not okay.

Luckily, the second client knew the drill.

I once read about a Swedish CEO who offered lukewarm coffee (a big no no) during job interviews. Later, she would ask if it was good and if the person wanted a refill. Those who didn't say anything about the coffee not being hot enough were dismissed as "not having enough integrity”.

So, if you ever visit Sweden, remember this one thing:

Don't f*ck with fika!