I love coffee, I love café culture, I love chatting and people watching - the whole caboodle. We have a Costa
Prices are a disgrace
I am a big advocate of coffee shops of all kind, independant and chain. As Saint said, it is a great place to spend an hour, relaxing, people watching and chatting (I have actually made friends in mine).
I started out at a Costa, that closed, but I stayed in touch with the staff. Now I frequent a Caffé Nero which is in a lovely position in the city.
People may slag them off, but in my book it is way better than drinking alcohol, smoking and even buying newspapers. It's a relatively cheap pastime and most arguments against them are quite weak. It's a place to enjoy a simple pleasure.
We are blessed in Sheffield with having a large variety of chains and independents and I have tried quite a few of them. Great places to meet friends.
Yes, the prices on the face of it are rather high, but when you factor in everything you get, it's not so bad.