While India Coffee House is owned by the Coffee Board, there is an equally well known Indian Coffee House which is a workers cooperative owned by the Indian Coffee Workers' Cooperative Society Ltd.

A cafe is typically known for its extensive food menu and a relaxed, sit-down environment. It caters to a wide range of tastes, often serving various dishes, pastries, or light meals. On the other hand, a coffee shop's primary focus is coffee, offering many brewing methods, espresso beverages, and a selection of teas.

America's first coffeehouse was established in 1676, in Boston. The Tontine Coffee House on Wall Street in New York is the origin of the New York Stock Exchange. It is the building with the flag on it in this 1797 oil-on-linen painting by Francis Guy (1760–1820).

The first coffeehouses appeared in the Muslim world in the 15th century. The first coffeehouses appeared in Damascus. These Ottoman coffeehouses also appeared in Mecca, in the Arabian Peninsula in the 15th century, then spread to the Ottoman Empire's capital of Istanbul in the 16th century and in Baghdad.