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An Italian coffee shop owner is in hot water after being fined 1,000 euros ($1,050) for failing to display the cost of a 2 euro ($2.12) espresso, CNN reports.

The owner of the Ditta Artigianale cafe in Florence has been punished by police after a customer reported him at the end of April for not advertising his prices as legally required.

Inspector Leonardo Magnolfi, of Florence local police, told CNN Thursday that a male customer reported the cafe for not displaying the price of the coffee behind the counter -- as law dictates.

Police followed up the complaint and fined the shop 1,000 euros after verifying that the price was indeed absent.

Cafe owner Francesco Sanapo took to Facebook to complain about the penalty, which he said arose after a customer was surprised at the 2 euro cost of a decaffeinated espresso.

Sanapo is an award-winning barista and star of "Coffee Hunters," a show on the Italian food channel "Gambero Rosso."

Writing on Facebook Monday, Sanapo said: "I am not here to discuss the fine, that will be done in the competent offices and I am ready to pay for my mistakes."

However, he said he felt he had to speak out for the sake of the hospitality industry and "the future of the Italian coffee shop."

The company promotes its fair trade credentials, while its website states that it works "exclusively with good coffees ... good in its taste and good in its ethics."

Sanapo wrote: "I'm here to make sure that no one else is outraged if they pay two euros for an espresso. It's a mission and I will carry out with my head held high."

He argued that, while the price may not have been visible, it was available on the QR code menu.