Definition of the word cafe

The word "cafe" has its origins in the 17th-century Ottoman Empire. The term "qahwa" referred to a coffeehouse, which was a popular social gathering place where people would come to drink coffee, smoke, and engage in intellectual discussions. When the Ottoman Empire expanded into Europe, Turkish culture and customs spread with it, including the phenomenon of coffeehouses. In France, the word "cafe" emerged as a French adaptation of the Turkish "qahwa." The first French cafe, Café Procope, opened in Paris in 1686. The term "cafe" became popularized throughout Europe, and eventually, the rest of the world, to refer to not only a coffeehouse but also a restaurant or eatery that serves a variety of food and beverages, often in a relaxed and social atmosphere.