Cafes, on warmer days, may have an outdoor section with seats, tables and parasols. This is especially the case with European cafes. Cafes offer a more open public space compared to many of the traditional pubs they have replaced, which were more male dominated with a focus on drinking alcohol.
There are two types of cafes: those that specialize in coffee and hot beverages, and those with a full menu, the most famous examples of which are the "French cafes," especially those in Paris. Styles of cafes vary; some concentrate upon many styles of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, with possibly a selection of baked goods and sandwiches, while others offer full menus. American cafes may or may not serve alcoholic beverages, and the serving of coffee may be incidental to the serving of food. British cafes, however, do not sell alcohol.
One of the original uses of the cafe, as a place for information exchange and communication, was reintroduced in the 1990s with the Internet café or Hotspot (Wi-Fi). The spread of modern style cafes to many places, urban and rural, went hand in hand with computers. Computers and Internet access in a contemporary-styled venue helps to create a youthful, modern, outward-looking place, compared to the traditional pubs, or old-fashioned diners that they replaced. In the mid 2000s, cafes commonly offer Internet access, just as they offer telephones and newspapers.