I think you are right.
I remember in Berkeley CA, there was a “student” that bought 1 cup of tea and then hogged the WiFi for hours–don’t know why mgmt allowed it
This, so much this. And usually personable and/or intriguing people cooking or serving your food. Often like “Cheers”-“where everybody knows your name” and your usual order for the time of day.
If the shop is so busy that seating is limited, then that could be a problem. But if there’s plenty of seating, it might be considered valuable to have someone there to make it look busier. A totally empty cafe is also off-putting.
I mean, “cafe” means “coffee” in about half the languages in the world. You never made the connection?
Probably because they were exceedingly rare.
That’s true. When I was a child in New England, Dunkin Donuts was a doughnut chain known for good coffee.
ETA: @Alessan 3 posts up …
To me, “cafe” has always been American for “simple (but not scruffy) casual restaurant, more lunch than breakfast or dinner, with zero specific association to coffee.” Meanwhile a “coffee shop” is a “diner specializing in breakfast and maybe lunch. And infinite refills of lousy coffee.”
There never was a word in my flavor of American for “a place which specializes in serving nice coffee, small snacks, and being an inviting atmosphere designed to hang out in.” Such things simply did not exist in most of the USA until the 1970s if not later.
There still isn’t IMO an unambiguous and well-recognized word for those kinds of places. Neither “cafe” nor “coffee shop” fit the bill; we need a new word.
The Starbucks website says that the company founder was inspired by a visit to Italy and seeing the coffeehouses there.
Honestly, I can’t imagine a term that could possibly be more on the nose than those two.
Why are cafeterias named after coffee?
cafeteria | Etymology of cafeteria by etymonline
The term “bistro,” BTW, is derived from the Russian word bystro, meaning “fast, quick,” or (in this case) “Hurry up!” It’s what Russian troops shouted to the staff of restaurants when they occupied Paris after the defeat of Napoleon.
Not here. And to double-check, I just did a Google Maps search for cafe, and they are overwhelmingly a Starbucks-ish experience: specializing in coffee/tea, with light food fare (pastries, pre-made sandwiches, etc.). Most of them are also tagged as “coffee shop”, which I’d consider synonymous.
There are some exceptions here and there, but not too many. And surprisingly, still a few internet cafes (which of course mainly serve coffee and snacks, but also gaming systems)!
We have “coffee house” maybe?
I wonder whether this is one of those language differences that vary by region.
That’s the best word IMO. But as shown above, there’s not widespread agreement within the USA that “coffee house” means “What an old-style Starbucks hoped to be as they copied something ubiquitous in Europe.”
My experience is the same as @LSLGuy . I believe we are both on the West Coast. Our Cafes are entirely different to what they call a cafe in Europe and nothing like Starbucks.
Could be, though I wonder if it’s an age thing as well. I do recognize LSLGuy’s description to some extent, but it’s been decades since I’ve had that association.
There’s also the occasional use of “cafe” as being short for cafeteria. Often in a corporate setting (including my own workplace).
When I think of a “cafeteria,” I remember the place in the basement of my junior high where I had lunch.
Mind you, there were some very good cafeterias in downtown Minneapolis that served real food when I was a kid. My mother often had lunch at a cafeteria and would take me along with her on occasion. The best one was turned into a disco nightclub in the '70s (“Scottie’s on Seventh”).
My senior high didn’t have a “cafeteria” or a “lunchroom.” It was a beautiful brand-new school and had what would today probably be called a “food court” in the large open area on the ground floor. IIRC, we called it a “commons” back in the day.
And I think that’s why there’s some avoidance of the word. The campus cafeteria is pretty good, overall. Somewhere between typical fast causal fare and an actual restaurant. But “cafeteria” gives off the vibe of that awful food served in school (think Lunchlady Doris from The Simpsons). So they shorten it to “cafe”.