Used here in a more metaphorical sense, for sure. There are more precise idioms ...

throwanem on April 27, 2020 | parent | context | favorite | on: How coffee became a modern necessity

Used here in a more metaphorical sense, for sure. There are more precise idioms for what I intended to say, but they didn't come to mind in time, so I went with what I had.

On reflection, "table stakes" is closer.