They could be over the age of 68. There remains an older generation that is keeping the Newspapers on life support at least.
“…Anyway, it’s a tricky balance for a cafe…”
Estimating revenue per customer per length of stay is relatively easy. Estimating customer loss/retention or attraction to new customers is the hard part. For Starbucks as example, they’ve mostly lost me as a customer for any reason due in large part to making their facility unappealing to stay in for any period of time. So regardless if I am in for a quick drink, or wish to stay for a longer period to do some work, they have lost a customer. Potential revenue from me has dropped to zero. My cafe money goes to those places that invite a comfortable place to use for whatever my convenience level happens to be at the time.
Starbuck’s business model for a long time was explosive market growth. Now that they have saturated the market, their business model depends on high turnover of product as rapidly as possible. Next step is no chairs or stools at all, just surfaces to lean on.
I have grown to love the Pike at SB’s and at home I brew Sumatra beans that i get at SB.
I have tried the local coffee shops and they apparently all buy their coffee from a roaster based here in SW Ohio and ALL of their various coffees taste “sour”. Now, having said that, most people I know drink their brew filled with milk and sugar and so that covers up the sour taste.
Oh, it’s surfaces to lean on you want, eh? When I was a wee lad, we didn’t even have surfaces. We just had to delicately balance in the formless void, holding our leaking wicker cup of dirty lukewarm ditch water in one hand while flapping our other arm to keep from spinning off into infinity. Surfaces? The decadent luxury of it all!
Stranger
Yeah, I didn’t realize there’s so much milk to coffee…I was guessing maybe 4 ounces, lol
Yeah, I aged myself on that one.
What I really hated is when someone would walk into your speakeasy without so much as a by-your-leave, and you’d have to give them the old 23 skidoo.
Luxury.
I have been in the position—yes, even in California—of wanting literally any coffee and Starbucks had the advantage of being around in an unfamiliar town with a dearth of cafes. If I could have found a cozy little independent cafe, I would have tried my luck there, instead. I do not really find Starbuck’s coffee tasty.
Hey now! I still have a paper subscription to my nearest big city paper and I’m only in my 50’s 
(I also have a separate digital subscription to the WP). It’s very much a ritualistic thing with food - if I’m not eating out for breakfast or lunch by myself or going to work that day (where I work alone more often than not), they sit unread. But yeah, there is no clearer indication that you are an incipient or actual old fart. I annually expect my paper subscription to be phased out and go digital only on me.