Just as customers at this book store didn't just care about a good selection of books for low prices, good coffee for low prices isn't always the impetus for a

Just as customers at this book store didn't just care about a good selection of books for low prices, good coffee for low prices isn't always the impetus for a visit to a specific cafe. Some places are just cool for whatever reason, and people will hang out there despite the coffee being crappy or the prices being high. Coffee shops sell coffee, sure, but for many of them, that's not the point of going. I can get free coffee from my workplace, and we actually have nitrogen cold-brew, espresso machines, half a dozen types of milk, syrups, half a dozen different drips in pumps, ice, blenders, RO filtered water...and I still go out to buy coffee. Many of my coworkers also go out for coffee. Sometimes it's nice to go somewhere else, and coffee is a great excuse. Sometimes we'll hang out at whatever coffee place we end up at for a good conversation. Back in high school, there was a big old dirty cafe all the kids hung out at. It had room for maybe 200 people on busy nights, which was probably over what fire code allowed. The coffee was made by stoned hippies on rarely-cleaned equipment and was pretty bad. It was normal coffee shop prices. It was the place to be because they were open 24 hours and had open-mic nights, where angsty teens could play guitar in front of their friends. Another place in that same state was super tiny (seating for about 10 people) and had a line out the door most mornings. Their coffee was good, as was their pastry. It wasn't cheap at all. The service was pretentious and rude, but mostly in a funny way. Being a regular there felt cool, and you'd chat with other customers in line. There are places in Chicago that charge >$6 for a cup of pour-over. These are typically fantastic. They could charge $7 and likely lose very little business. People who go to these types of places aren't cross-shopping Starbucks. I'd bet that a place charging $10 for a cappuccino in SF would do just fine assuming it had something else going for it as well. Build a business that is Instagram-worthy and charge whatever you like for your product, and you'll still get lines around the block if it's a good enough gimmick.