American tourist visiting Europe stunned to see no cafes open at 7: 'Not a place for morning people'

Every country operates differently, with systems shaped by its unique culture, lifestyle, and values. These differences can often surprise outsiders encountering them for the first time, but over time, many adapt and grow to appreciate them. American tourist Ben Pike, an early riser and actor—known as @benpiketheactor on TikTok—experienced one such cultural difference while traveling in Europe. He noticed that, unlike in the US, nothing seemed to open early in the morning, sparking an online discussion about work-life balance.

The video showed Pike walking down the streets of Paris in the early hours of the morning. He was shocked to find that all establishments, including restaurants, cafes and public places, were not open before 7 a.m. in one of Europe’s most celebrated cities. Hailing from Massachusetts, he noticed a similar difference in Spain compared to his home country. “All right, I'm sorry, but I have to say that Europe is not a place for morning people,” the actor said.

Pike recalled seeing the same scenario in Spain. "I thought it was just Spain. Now it's France. Nothing is open before 7 a.m.," the tourist said. This difference was significant for him, as he was accustomed to grabbing a bite early in the morning back home. "No coffee shops, no places to get breakfast. Everything is closed before 7 a.m.," he declared in the nearly one-minute video. Hilariously describing it as the “crack of dawn,” the actor gave a 360-degree view of the empty street, which showed no signs of people.

Pike noted that many places in Europe don’t open until 8 a.m. or later. “Many places don't open until 8 a.m.,” he added. He then revealed that during a rough patch in his life, he used to wake up late due to depression and a subsequent addiction to gaming. “I didn't use to be a morning person. When I was more depressed and playing Skyrim for 48 hours at a time, I would sleep late,” the traveler added. However, he placed the blame on Europe for not being accommodating of the way he had transformed his life. With his tongue-in-cheek humor, Pike remarked, “Then I got happier as I woke up early, and Europe has not been very accommodating to that so far.” Reiterating that nothing was open until 8 or 9 a.m. during his trip to Paris, the traveler later told Newsweek, "In America, there is always going to be coffee places or breakfast places.”

Meanwhile, his video highlighted the contrast between the US and Europe and garnered widespread attention on social media with 783K views. Among the countless reactions, @calydamoura wrote, “Of course, you can be a morning person but not a morning consumer. You can still learn, meditate or just enjoy yourself in the morning.” “Because many European countries don’t have unhealthy work-life balance and value time off,” @melasol_tattoo added. “It's because businesses in Europe are required to pay a livable salary to their workers. So it's too expensive to open a cafe this early for two or three customers,” chimed in @david_ronis.

You can follow Ben Pike (@benpiketheactor) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.