One of the long-standing questions in sociology is whether, in economically weaker countries—often referred to as the “Third World”—people really go to cafés simply to drink coffee.
In my view, in countries with relatively weaker economies, people do not necessarily visit cafés merely for the coffee. Let me explain.
Have you ever heard of the “Lipstick Effect”? If not, it is a concept worth knowing for anyone interested in understanding how people behave during economic downturns.
The term is commonly associated with Leonard Lauder, who popularized the idea in the early 2000s. The basic argument is simple: during periods of economic uncertainty, consumers may cut back on expensive purchases while continuing to spend on relatively affordable products that provide a sense of luxury, pleasure, or self-reward.
Why would someone buy lipstick during an economic downturn?
Because when people can no longer afford larger luxuries, they may turn toward smaller and more affordable ones.
This brings us to what I call the Café Paradox.
In countries experiencing high inflation and economic hardship, people may still spend considerable time in cafés. But why?
Because for many of them, a café is not simply a place to drink coffee.
They may not even particularly like coffee.
A café can represent something much larger: a small reminder that leisure, enjoyment, and ordinary happiness are still possible.
And this is where the paradox begins.
When economic conditions make many forms of entertainment increasingly unaffordable, the café can become a relatively accessible form of escape. A person may spend a few hours there, have a drink, talk to a friend, work on a laptop, read a book, or simply sit somewhere that feels different from their everyday environment.
In that sense, the café becomes more than a commercial establishment. It can become a mental refuge.
It tells people, even if only temporarily, that life is not entirely about inflation, financial pressure, uncertainty, and survival. There is still room to sit down, talk, laugh, think, and enjoy something.
Perhaps this is why the popularity of cafés in economically struggling societies should not always be interpreted simply as a demand for coffee.
Sometimes, people are not paying for the coffee.
They are paying for the feeling of normal life that comes with it.
Of course, this is not a universal rule, and there are many exceptions. The Café Paradox is not meant to describe every individual or every society. Rather, it is an observation about a broader pattern: when economic hardship limits people’s ability to enjoy traditional forms of leisure, relatively affordable social spaces can take on a meaning far beyond the products they sell.
And perhaps that is the real paradox of the café:
The worse the economy becomes, the more valuable a place that simply lets people feel normal can become.
Shayan Kianoosh
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