Take a Tour of London's 1950s Coffee Bars

On National Coffee Day, let us remember the world when it was hip, man. Before there was a Starbucks on every street.

In a 1959 installment of the British documentary series, Look at Life, "Coffee Bar" explores the various coffee shops seen in London's Soho neighborhood. According to the film, the city's coffee bar craze started in 1952, but by 1959 the boom had ended, with two coffee bars closing for every three new ones. The secret to running a successful coffee bar in neighborhood filled with them? Attracting a niche audience.