How much does table size matter in your choice of coffee shop. I like to study and hang around, so big tables are fine with me… yet I understand how it might be more profitable to squeeze more (smaller) tables into a small coffee shop. Yet, there’s a statement of American culture in these big-table coffee shops that I like so much. Even when they’re crowded, nobody ever asks if they can join you at your table– they’d rather take the coffee for the road. In my experience, this wouldn’t be the case in many European countries. Perhaps we’re so used to having “our space” here, that we’re unwilling to take the chance of being anywhere near another’s space—especially when they’re a stranger.
Maybe “public spaces” don’t matter that much here unless there’s some sort of structure (like a club) to force interaction.