One of the issues with the type of coffee shops you're describing - where you get to sit and enjoy your coffee while discussing politics, reading a book, or studying - is that it's not entirely sustainable. Starbucks figured this out and so a lot of their efforts are focused around getting people to carry out their coffee. Businesses make money when people buy products. How many of us have purchased more than one cup of coffee while we sit for 2-3 hours at a time? It's good for the consumer as they get a place to sit away from home without having to pay for office space, but not a very good business model, especially if you're a small coffee shop competing with starbucks.