Contrary to how they may appear now, cafes in Early Modern Europe were a major aspect in the advent of public opinion outside of the royal family, and indirectly allowed views and beliefs to spread far beyond individuals.
Cafes are one of the major cornerstones of Jurgen Habermas’ “private affairs” philosophy that caused public opinion and dissent to the royal families of Europe to become more widespread.
The first coffeeshop was established in the 17th century in England and primarily served the top 10% of the population due to the high price of coffee at the time. This helped limit the patrons’ demographics to those with money and thus, was considered to be halfway between a private club and a public space. Cafes held copies of all major newspapers and magazines at the time, so patrons were able to stay up to date on all major events going on around them.
However, the most crucial aspect of cafes during this time period, that contradicts the cafes of the modern day, is the usage of long tables and open conversation with fellow strangers. It was during these conversations that people spoke of the news and openly expressed their beliefs, which eventually led to rising movements that continued to gain traction until the eventual French Revolution.
A running joke of the Enlightenment is that it was “fueled by caffeine”. While that may not necessarily be true, we cannot underestimate just how important cafes were in 17th century Europe and how their impact can still hold true in the modern day.