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Coffee houses, when you think about it, are very similar to bars and restaurants. Providing coffee, tea, light snacks and lunch type food they offer a great mishmash of both. Besides serving food and beverages, coffee houses are great places to interact socially with other people, read, write, do homework or just pass time.
While one would typically think that coffee houses started in Italy, but that isn't the case. In fact, since the 16th century they've been prominent in the Middle East. People would go to them to drink coffee or tea, listen to music, play games like chess and backgammon and read.
In 1530, the first coffee house opened in Damascus. Shortly thereafter, others started springing up in places like Cairo and Istanbul.
It wasn't until the 17th century that coffee first made an appearance in Europe. The first recorded coffee house in Italy opened shop in 1645. This was followed by the first coffee house in England, in Oxford, in 1650. After that, they spread like wildfire, hitting America in 1670 in Boston.
Charles II wasn't a fan of coffee houses, and tried to discourage people in London from going to them by characterizing them as places where the disaffected met and spread scandalous reports concerning the conduct of His Majesty and his Ministers. Instead of keeping people away, people flocked to them.
Coffee houses were open to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds, and became associated with equality. That said, women weren't allowed into them.
Later on, this obviously ceased to be the case. In American coffee houses in the 1960s, musicians and poets had found a home. Bob Dylan got his start running the coffee house circuit, as did the Beats. Also, many churches used them for outreach purposes, gaining membership and spreading the word of God.
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