I'm sure the coffee helps, but it is the in-person contact that makes the magic.
Somehow, when we connect on the phone or online, we do not really get "engaged" to the other part. It is very hard to transmit confidence and our daily work pressure usually makes us think the other part is a jerk.
I am glad you managed to smooth things down and speed them up in your meeting. Most of the time, real in-person meetings work well, but sometimes they can be the end of the deal :)
Ah yes, you're right...There is a flip-side to F2F meetings. Sometimes personalities clash and what went relatively well via digital comms cold fall apart due to that clash. I've had it happen and always regretted it, but it's how things go sometimes. For me, well I'm adaptable and have the knack of making things work mostly...Still, there's moments. You know?