If there's a place where coffee is overpriced, it's definetely in Venice.
Whatever view you can contemplate.

I call this a rip-off.
I've never paid such a price in Italy, even in the most luxurious places in Paris.
Concerning the French Cafe where I go regularly to, I never had the slightest problem about prices, or anything else, and the coffee is at least as good as the Salvador's.
Once more I'm surprised reading people regularly complaining about French Cafe. May be it's not the best place in China, but in my point of view it's still a nice place to meet friends, and watch time passing.
I should like to know how these people do behave when they are talking with the staff!
In parallel to the groceries debates which are beyond me, it seems to me that nobody said anything about the greedy landlords who are increasing rents year after year, especially in Wen Lin and Yun Da area, but maybe I'm wrong.

The cafes you named in Kunming would hardly be the first to charge much more for coffee than it costs them to make.

I attribute this to the fact that coffee in China is a lifestyle commodity. Most Chinese people drink it because it conveys a sense of social status and sophistication, not because they like the taste (though some might). Same reason Luis Vuitton can charge more for its bags. I like coffee but I rarely order it in restaurants (except for Salvadore's before 2pm...that's a good deal). If you like coffee so much, but (like me) are too cheap to pay Kunming prices for it, I suggest you make it yourself at home.

And btw 2000 rmb in Kunming is not "slave labor" but the standard service sector wage. There are farmers who make less than that in a year.

Price of processed coffee here is the same as back home. If not more. Local cafes are also paying local wholesale prices, which also seem high.

Most of the beans shipped to Europe are raw beans, and they are shipped in large sacks. The coffee is then processed by the 'Brand' holder. I would assume that coffee roasting in EU/US is done on a much larger scale than it is here. Even in than the scale of processing in Yunnan. There are also a few locals roasting beans here, they will not be buying bulk raw beans as commodity market prices. They are also fairly new and most have a lot to learn. Although they are themselves cutting out middle men, I do not imagine their margins are high.
Local cafes will be buying processed at these same higher prices, more so if it is imported coffee.

Ref French Cafe.
I was there the day, and service was very good. They must have taken on board the criticisms. Some people may still be slagging them off based on past experience. Such criticism is perhaps no longer valid.

I enjoyed reading this conversation. Actually for high pricing around Wen line jie, I avoid to go there, I would rather buy the coffee powder and make it at home.

In fairness, they are serving fresh ground at the cafes, and you can't people watch at home.

Back to the point: if you were overcharged at either the Wicker Basket or the French Cafe it was a mistake by the staff, not an attempt to rip you off. The price of coffee is what it is because those who own foreign-oriented cafes etc. in Kunming can get it. And yes, staff of such places are usually underpaid, though less underpaid than plenty of other restaurant workers here. Underpayment of staff is a product of competition in private enterprise, which often produces what in the short run appears as 'efficiency'.