Board game cafe advice for a true noob?

Hi, all. I just discovered what looks like an awesome board game cafe, shop, gathering place in my city - but I’m a nervous wreck about going in there. Well, not GOING in there, I’ve done that 2-3 times now, but I chicken out and leave.

I’ve never played anything other than the likes of Monopoly, Scrabble, or other commercial as-all-get-out classics, never any of the really cool - but also really complicated-looking(!) new games I see people playing and selling there and you all sharing here.

It’s not that I’m shy, but I’m extremely self-conscious, I’m 47 and everyone there looks like they’re in their teens to low-30s, I don’t really have any friends here (I’ve worked remotely for 15 years, that hasn’t helped) and I just feel like I’ll “ruin the party” by wandering around the gaming room trying to find an open seat with a group of people who know each other well and really don’t want to have to have their pace of play slowed down to my (at least initially) snail’s pace.

So! I feel like I can’t just “get up to speed” on board games in general, given that it feels like there’s a million of them - and since I don’t know anyone else to play with. Any advice at all? I don’t even know what kind of advice I’m looking for, lol. It’s not so much what games should/could I learn before walking in there, it’s not “how to make friends,” I don’t know, I’m all up in my head, and you folks - and the people at this cafe(!) - all seem like really nice people so I thought I’d share.

Thanks, all.