Coffee had a significant impact on the world because it increased social interactions among Europeans through coffeehouses.
Coffeehouses: What are they?
Coffeehouses were places where people could engage in conversation or discuss politics, allowing news and gossip to travel, which increased social interactions as well as creating political uprisings. For the price of just a penny, customers purchased a cup of coffee and admission.
European Coffeehouse
A traveler to London in 1668 remarked, "Coffee-Houses, which are very numerous in London, are extremely convenient. You have all manner of news there; you have a good Fire, which you may sit by as long as you please; you have a Dish of Coffee; you meet your Friends for the transaction of Business, and all for a penny, if you don't care to spend more." ("The Coffee House")
Evolution to Europe
As Europeans visited the Middle East they became acquainted with coffee, which was known as the exotic drink. The Europeans began to spread word of its mind-altering powers to their countrymen back home. Soon, coffeehouses were evolving from street-peddlers and coffee stands to large buildings that look like little restaurants. In the early 17th century they began to spring up all over Europe.