To me, it kinda felt like “well, we have to put a Cantina scene in the movie.” It felt shoehorned in and not necessary. Maz could’ve been based anywhere, really. Didn’t have to be a bar.
Not huge things, but I also wasn’t really a fan of 1) First Order spies being there, 2) a Resistance spy being there, and 3) Finn seeking transport with a couple guys like Ben and Luke were trying to do in ANH.
A seedy den crawling with spies for both sides was a thing when sound movies were new.
We might get a Casablanca planet in Star Wars yet.