{"id":16124,"date":"2021-11-14T13:12:28","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T13:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=16124"},"modified":"2022-09-18T15:08:15","modified_gmt":"2022-09-18T15:08:15","slug":"difference-restaurant-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/difference-restaurant-cafe\/","title":{"rendered":"The 6 Key Differences between a Restaurant and a Cafe"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-6::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-6{display:block;}<\/style><p>The main purpose of language is to allow for clear communication.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, even small changes in a sentence can produce very different meanings. If someone says, &ldquo;I dislike this,&rdquo; you get a very different feeling than &ldquo;I hate this.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-did-english-become-widely-diffused\/\">the rise and spread of English as a global language<\/a><\/strong> has led to some pretty confusing differences as words from different languages and time periods were adopted as native English words.<\/p>\n<p>In business, things are even trickier. We&rsquo;re not talking, &ldquo;What is <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/the-meaning-of-competitive-parity-in-strategic-management\/\">the meaning of competitive parity in strategic management<\/a><\/strong>?&rdquo; level tricky, but still trickier.<\/p>\n<p>One great example of this is the difference between a restaurant and a cafe.<\/p>\n<p>Do cafes have to serve coffee? If a restaurant serves coffee, is it suddenly a cafe? Does it matter how many tables there are? Are these words actually just the same thing?<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we&rsquo;ll run through six differences between restaurants and cafes, from most to least frequently discussed.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What is the difference between a restaurant and a cafe?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Cafes typically have smaller food menus and a focus on coffee, tea and similar drinks. The word &ldquo;restaurant,&rdquo; on the other hand, can be used to refer to almost any business that serves food and drink. That said, some restaurants just call themselves cafes because it sounds fancier.<\/strong><br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>1. The focus of a cafe is usually coffee<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16134 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe.jpeg\" alt=\"Coffee served in a Cafe\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16134 size-full eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3Crect%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Coffee served in a Cafe\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Coffee-served-in-a-Cafe-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>The word cafe comes from the French caf&eacute;, which was itself borrowed from the Italian caff&egrave;, which in turn comes from Turkish kahve and Arabic qahwa.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s a long list of languages, but what&rsquo;s the point? All of these words actually mean coffee.<\/p>\n<p>When cafes opened in France in the late 1600s, they took the city of Paris by storm, quickly becoming an essential part of Parisian life.<\/p>\n<p>Although French cafes today are more like restaurants, originally, they served primarily coffee and other similar drinks, such as beer, hot chocolate and lemonade.<\/p>\n<p>This origin of the cafe in coffee is still evident today, as many cafes have lots of options when it comes to coffee, tea and other drinks.<\/p>\n<p>The word &ldquo;restaurant&rdquo; carries no such meaning and is used to refer to any type of establishment for eating food. Yes, that means that a cafe is technically a type of restaurant.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>2. Cafes have smaller food menus<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16137 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place.jpeg\" alt=\"Small Snack in a Cafe Place\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16137 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place.jpeg\" alt=\"Small Snack in a Cafe Place\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Snack-in-a-Cafe-Place.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The obvious consequence of cafes&rsquo; focus on drinks is that many don&rsquo;t have large food menus. Typically, the menu at a cafe exists to complement the main attraction: coffee.<\/p>\n<p>This means that a cafe is more likely to offer sandwiches, salads and other light meals than a full menu. Pastries, cakes and desserts are also popular cafe options.<\/p>\n<p>Restaurants, on the other hand, often serve many different types of food. Even those restaurants which specialize in a certain type of cuisine will usually have many options available to order in comparison to a cafe.<\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s worth noting that this difference doesn&rsquo;t always hold up. Some cafes, especially Parisian caf&eacute;s, do serve quite a lot of food and may be just as well-known for their menus as for their coffee and desserts.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>3. Restaurants can be of any size, but cafes are usually small<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16140 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place.jpeg\" alt=\"Small Cafe Place\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16140 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place.jpeg\" alt=\"Small Cafe Place\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Small-Cafe-Place.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>As we&rsquo;ve already covered, the word &ldquo;restaurant&rdquo; is pretty vague. It refers to any kind of food establishment, ranging from food carts all the way up to multi-story establishments that can seat thousands of customers at once.<\/p>\n<p>Cafes, in contrast, are usually not very large. It&rsquo;s unusual to see a cafe that can seat more than a few dozen people at once, and most are smaller.<\/p>\n<p>While there are always exceptions to any supposed &ldquo;rule&rdquo; of language, this one is actually pretty consistent, especially if you don&rsquo;t consider huge coffee chains like Starbucks to be proper cafes.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, according to the Guinness book of world records, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guinnessworldrecords.com\/world-records\/largest-coffee-shop\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the Al Masaa Caf&eacute; in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia<\/a><\/strong> can seat one thousand and fifty people. That&rsquo;s a large cafe!<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>4. Restaurants serve you, but in cafes you serve yourself<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16142 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe.jpeg\" alt=\"Self-Service in Cafe\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16142 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe.jpeg\" alt=\"Self-Service in Cafe\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Self-Service-in-Cafe.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-4\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>When you go to a restaurant, you expect to be shown to a table, have your order taken by a server and then delivered freshly cooked from the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p>That experience is very different from going to a cafe, where you typically place your order at a coffee bar and then pick it up yourself before finding a table on your own.<\/p>\n<p>Some cafes do have servers and busboys, but most definitely don&rsquo;t.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, it would be highly unusual in most restaurants to expect the customer to get their own food from the kitchen and take it to their table.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>5. Restaurants are often more expensive<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16144 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant.jpeg\" alt=\"Expensive Restaurant\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16144 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant.jpeg\" alt=\"Expensive Restaurant\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Expensive-Restaurant.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-5\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>When you consider that restaurants can seat more people than cafes and also offer more types of food, it makes sense that they would usually cost more than cafes.<\/p>\n<div>&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-content\">\n<p>Not only do they need to pay for upkeep of a larger building, but they have to buy more ingredients and pay kitchen staff and servers, which cafes don&rsquo;t usually need to do. All those costs add up, making for higher-priced menu items.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this doesn&rsquo;t mean cafes are cheap. When you look at individual items, some cafes certainly cost just as much as restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>Another part of the lower cost of cafes is that you don&rsquo;t go to a cafe to order a full meal. When you&rsquo;re only buying a coffee and a snack, your bill is going to be a lot less than if you and your family all order a main course, drinks, sides and a dessert.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>6. Both words derive from French, but cafes were originally Arabic<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16146 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set.jpeg\" alt=\"Arabic Coffee Set\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16146 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set.jpeg\" alt=\"Arabic Coffee Set\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Arabic-Coffee-Set.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-6\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>The words cafe and restaurant both come from the French language. In fact, the first use of both words was in Paris.<\/p>\n<p>The Oxford English Dictionary describes the first use of &ldquo;restaurant&rdquo; as coming from 1765, where a man named Boulanger advertised &ldquo;restorative&rdquo; food. The word &ldquo;restore&rdquo; in French is restaurer, from which we arrived at &ldquo;restaurant.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>As you might remember, the word &ldquo;cafe,&rdquo; although it comes to us from French, actually derives from the Arabic word for coffee.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the first recorded cafe dates to 1475 in Istanbul, Turkey (see our article on using a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-a-country-name\/\">comma before a country name<\/a>)<\/strong>, when a coffee shop named &ldquo;Kiva Han&rdquo; served strong Turkish coffee.<\/p>\n<p>From there, the phenomenon slowly spread across the European continent and beyond.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Cafe as an example of lexical drift<\/h2>\n<p>Now that we&rsquo;ve run through some actual differences in restaurants and cafes, it&rsquo;s important to note that sometimes there really is no difference.<\/p>\n<p>Just like how nobody really understandd the difference between<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/slacks-pants-trousers-difference\/\">slacks, pants and trousers<\/a><\/strong>, the meaning of cafe and restaurant have started to collide a little.<\/p>\n<p>Especially in the United States, many establishments that call themselves cafes are really just restaurants.<\/p>\n<p>In this case, you can think of the word &ldquo;cafe&rdquo; as a kind of branding. If you go to a cafe of this variety, it&rsquo;s likely that the owners just think the word sounds nicer or, perhaps, that they want to present their business as western European in origin.<\/p>\n<p>This makes &ldquo;cafe&rdquo; a great example of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/itre.cis.upenn.edu\/~myl\/languagelog\/archives\/002962.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lexical drift<\/a><\/strong>, a linguistics term referring to the fact that the meaning of words changes over time. The classic case of this is the word &ldquo;literally,&rdquo; which now means both &ldquo;literally&rdquo; and &ldquo;not literally.&rdquo; Another is <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/in-a-hot-minute-meaning\/\">in a hot minute<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The main purpose of language is to allow for clear communication. In fact, even small changes in a sentence can produce very different meanings. If someone says, &ldquo;I dislike this,&rdquo; you get a very different feeling than &ldquo;I hate this.&rdquo; Unfortunately, the rise and spread of English as a global language has led to some &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-vocabulary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16124"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16147,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16124\/revisions\/16147"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}