Ahh, I knew some old timers would come on and remember those good times.

Players would gather anywhere that has a purpose, a buff, or a necessity of any kind. All you have to do is provide something that is greatly beneficial and not available anywhere but inside the tavern, and it will be jammed with people. It really has little to do with roleplaying, or providing a "theme park". It's adding "depth and immersion" to the world... from what I understand, what everyone is looking for.