I used to work in cafe, and love to go to cafes now still (like actual cafes - I say with pride and joking snobbery, coming from a country where starbucks isn't really considered a cafe) and I honestly still have no idea why people go to cafes in the first place, if they're only there for the coffee.

Instant coffee tastes okay (with milk) and is a whole lot faster and cheaper than a getting a coffee from a cafe.

Cafes sell customer service, a nice ritual, and a nice place to hang out, with nice beverages included. In my opinion.