A coffee shop (a.k.a. cafe) is a restaurant location that primarily sells coffee, either fresh-brewed cups of coffee or roasted coffee beans ready for brewing. Coffee shops are notable for being meeting places, having free wi-fi, and having outrageous prices on things like baked goods (and the coffee itself).
As a gathering spot[]
Coffee shops are popular as gathering spots for the following:
- Those looking for a date,
- Those who want to use free wi-fi (perhaps because they don't have internet at home),
- Those who find staying there cheaper than renting a hotel room (net cafe refugees),
- Politically-liberal college students majoring in something not likely to get them a real job, so they advocate a socialist ideology in an attempt to bring the rest of us down to their pending employment level,
- A place to meet up with one's mom after she's done shopping at the mall,
- Poets,
- Painters.
Some coffee shops host events aimed at the artistically inclined.
When making a purchase[]
Occasionally, a person frequenting a coffee shop may decide to make a purchase. When doing so, a person can probably expect having to choose between coffee sizes (note: there usually is no small, and the largest size is often called "grande"), and then paying a few dollars for something that can be made at home for less than a dollar. The baked goods are considered decorative, but they can be purchased at a much higher price than one would pay at a supermarket.