lbp wrote:My first thought on all of this is whether, after consuming large portions of fish, paste, Tsipouro etc., that some significant (yet undefined) portion of restaurant row patronage cares about and appreciates fine coffee enough to actually go next door, down the block, or around the corner to finish it all with an excellent experience at "that espresso-coffee drink place."

Consider this: There are great restaurants and shops in suburban locations, but not a lot of great cafes. The only exception I know of is Klatch.

The neighborhoods I'm talking about are more like a suburban mall than like a row of restaurants with little else; people go there to hang out for a long time. They shop, see a movie, sit in cafes and bars, eat at the restaurants. People going to suburban malls do exactly the same thing. But the shops in malls are mostly repetitive brands and chains, while the exceptional suburban restaurants and shops can afford to be in isolated destinations where they don't have to pay a turnover rake. But in urban locations, the businesses in a "hangout neighborhood" try to be unique, and chain stores don't do very well. This makes such neighborhoods an attractive location for quality cafes.

I'm trying to think of good economic or sociological reasons why urban hangout neighborhoods and malls are so different. There are none if you look at each in isolation; so it appears to be an interactive tipping process. Thirty years ago, they were similar, and have diverged since then. Once this divergence starts, it might pay for each to focus more and more on different customer types, say comfort and novelty seekers.