Webster Dictionary defines a cafe as a restaurant where simple and usually quite cheap meals are served.  Cambridge dictionary does not single out the price of the food but instead says it is a usually small and informal establishment serving various refreshments (as coffee). Perhaps the most well-known version of a cafe in America is Starbucks.  It is hard to believe that in 1971, Starbucks was just a single bar in Seattle.  Today, Starbucks has over 22,000 locations.  

While Starbucks is an American success story, Europe has been home to the small cafe serving up coffee for centuries at numbers that dwarf Starbucks. The Starbucks website tell of Howard Schulz, Director of Retail Operations who travels to Italy.  He’s so impressed with the popularity of espresso bars in Milan. He sees the potential to develop a similar coffeehouse culture in Seattle. 

Despite the Starbucks success, the majority of our cafe for sale listings are more on the order of the European version; small shops in towns across America who serve baked goods, bagels, soups, sandwiches and small meals along with great coffee and tea.  You'll also find for many of these locations, a friendly face who knows most of the patrons.  Many of the cafe for sale listings offered by the restaurant brokers are independently owned because they represent a great lifestyle for the restaurant buyer.  Hours are often short (sometimes only 7am to 2 or 3pm).  Typically they will focus on a limited menu of just breakfast and lunch leaving full service restaurants to deal with those seeking beer or wine with a late day meal.

The advantage of buying a cafe for sale is the lifestyle it affords a family. If you want a business for sale with short hours and enjoy a hometown feel, then consider a cafe for sale when buying a restaurant.