We understand that a Starbucks is coming to Paris. Fast coffee, in a large paper cup with a plastic cover, doesn't fit the image of a Parisian sipping coffee. People took their time with a simple, small cup of coffee. They would never drink coffee with dessert as each has its only distinct favor you wouldn't want to ruin by mixing them. You had your dessert, and then you enjoyed your coffee.
Some French customs seem firmly in place.
We came to wonder if people eat slow because service was so bad, or if it was the case that service is what it is because people eat slow. At any rate, going to a restaurant was for the evening, not something rushed before going on to the next event. We were really impressed by the frequency of the trains, metro and buses. They ran literally every few minutes, making it possible for people to just use public transportation. They said there was no place in Paris more than 500 meters from a Metro stop.