As I continually say the checking the game guides with the Help Tab above the game screen is a good place to start to learn the basics of any game. Next a trip to the forums is always worth the time. The Zynga forums usually have a community created guides section where you can find a wealth of information contributed by other players.
Forum Links
Café World Forum
Support by Users for Users
Café World Guides
Spreadsheets
Spread Sheet for Café World A contribution from LaughDonor, he has now placed the spreadsheets on his own web site.