14.11.2026 11:10
Baki Macit, a 50-year-old who has been running a coffeehouse in Erzurum for 18 years, sets the price of tea according to the customer's manner of asking. According to the price list, someone who says 'Give me tea' pays 45 lira, someone who says 'Send tea' pays 35, someone who says 'Give me some tea, would you?' pays 25, and someone who asks 'May I have tea?' pays 15 lira. Macit, who asks those wanting free tea for 9 documents ranging from a criminal record to an imam's permission certificate, says that so far only one person has brought all the documents.
Baki Macit, a 50-year-old who has run a coffeehouse in Erzurum for 18 years, applies a different price list depending on the manner in which his customers ask for tea, and he asks his customers for 9 documents for free tea.
Macit, who sells tea for 45 TL to a customer who enters his coffeehouse and says 'Give me tea,' gives tea for 15 TL to a customer who requests it by saying 'May I have tea?' Macit, who also developed a different method for when customers say after drinking tea that they have no money, asks those who want to drink free tea for 9 different documents.
According to the price list applied in the coffeehouse, customers who say 'Give me tea' pay 45 TL, those who say 'Send tea' pay 35 TL, those who say 'Give me some tea, would you?' pay 25 TL, and those who request it by saying 'May I have tea?' pay 15 TL. The documents that customers who want to drink free tea must bring include a photocopy of their ID, a civil servant guarantor, two photographs, a criminal record, a bill registered in their name, a salary slip, an education certificate, a permission document from the mosque imam, and a Class E driver's license. Macit states that so far only one person has brought all 9 documents, and that he has archived these documents.
TEA IS 45 LIRA FOR THOSE WHO ARE RUDE
Baki Macit, who says he has been in the coffeehouse business for about 18 years, said, 'Our idea of selling tea according to manner developed like this. Normally our work may look very small from the outside, but it is a job that requires a lot of effort. For that reason, we wanted them to show a little respect for this work. Normally the price of our tea is 15 lira. If a customer does not comply and is rude, our service is accordingly. For that reason, we charge 45 lira. Honestly, it attracts a lot of attention from outsiders. This attention also pleases us.'
9 DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO SAY 'I HAVE NO MONEY'
Macit, who also stated that he asks for 9 documents for free tea in his coffeehouse, used the expressions, 'A customer would come, drink tea, leave, and say I have no money. So I said let us do something like this from now on. Whoever complies with this and brings these documents can drink one tea and leave. There was a tour driver from Balıkesir, he had brought all the documents. I archived them and put them away.'
HE CHANGED HIS MANNER AND DRANK TEA 30 LIRA CHEAPER
Enes Kaya (25), who says he came to the coffeehouse for the first time, said, 'I was very surprised too. We are normally from Erzurum; our diction is not very good, but we cannot go outside what is customary. We always say Give me tea. When I saw those prices here, I was actually a little surprised. Thank goodness they helped with the manner issue too. From now on I can make requests with better manners more often. A change in manner made the tea 30 lira cheaper. I loved it, it is very good. As a student, it is very good for me. Even if they arranged all the documents required for free tea, they could not arrange the eighth item. I think it is a nice joke. Even if I arranged all of them, I could not arrange the document from the imam.'