I think the author's history of taverns is a little misleading since he characterized the Romans as less hospitable. In antiquity the Greek concept of Xenia was highly valued and at times codified. Rather than inns and taverns, village heads and well off estates were expected to house and feed travelers and guests and this was the same logic applied to foreign dignitaries and officials. This continued in Ancient Rome as hospitium and the term was used for housing pilgrims in the middle ages.
Urban centers like Pompeii were an exception with the large markets, pubs, food stands, brothels, public baths, etc.