Short answers, pulled from the story.
Thomas Payne (c. 1718-1799) was an English bookseller and publisher who ran a shop at Mews Gate in Castle Street near Leicester Fields in London from 1750. His premises became a gathering place for literary figures and was nicknamed the Literary Coffee House.
Payne's bookshop was at Mews Gate in Castle Street near Leicester Fields in London. The site is now occupied by the National Gallery.
Patrons and contemporaries referred to Payne's shop as the Literary Coffee House because it functioned as a daytime club where discussions on all subjects took place. Regular visitors included George Steevens, Thomas Crofts, John Hoole, and Thomas Tyrwhitt.
Payne's sale catalogues are now considered valuable sources for 18th-century book history. Researchers use them to study prices, popular books, bookbinding practices, and other aspects of the period's book trade.
Payne published some of Frances Burney's work. His daughter Sarah later married James Burney, a naval officer and Frances Burney's brother, creating both a professional and a family connection.
Payne retired to Finchley in 1790 and left the business to his son, also named Thomas Payne, who was born in 1752 and lived until 1831.