I'm in Ireland and as another poster upthread mentioned, a lot of independent cafes have really upped their game over here. You need to come over to the West Coast for a visit and you'll see what I mean. Forget Dublin, you won't find inspiration there!
In our local town there are NO chain cafes. They're all Indy's. (We don't have a Boots, Tesco, Costa, Greggs etc. The only chains are an Aldi and a Lidl that are very clean and well run). People are very keen to support local businesses.
My fave local coffee shop has people queuing outside all year round to buy a takeaway coffee or to have one inside.
It's a small place that has a great ambience and plays good music, not too loud. The staff are mostly young and all very cheery and they quickly get to know you and the craic is grand.
It offers a small range of cakes/chocolates (inc. vegan/gluten free) that is made by a separate small bakery, but their USP is that they make the best coffee. The beans (a few different ones) are roasted locally and they buy fresh milk from a local small dairy, not from the supermarket. I never realised how much of a difference that can make to the taste, but it really does. I buy my milk from there too now.
I don't care about China cups or pretty tablecloths. I want high quality beverages and food, above all else.