Working from a cafe, what is reasonable?

[YellowHpok]

I ended up having to work from a cafe today for various reasons and it got me wondering about what cafe owners find acceptable.

I was there for 2hrs, spent £13 in total including a drink and then lunch. I sat at a table with another person on their laptop, and didn't use the electricity (although there were plugs provided). It's a large cafe and there was clearly enough space for lunchtime trade as far as I could see. I was near the entrance and those that wanted a table could have one as far as I can tell. I'd have moved otherwise.

I enjoyed it and would like to do it again. Is a drink and some lunch reasonable for 2 hours though?

I'd say so, yes. You wouldn't have gone otherwise so that's £13 they wouldn't have had, and you weren't affecting thr turnover of tables. And you helped the cafe look busy, which is always good

If there were plenty of other tables (as you say there were) then I can't see the issue.

I think it's fine if you bought a drink and lunch. I think it's a bit cheeky if you just buy 1 drink and sit for hours. Although I suppose it depends how busy it gets.

I used to do this a lot and as long as there were plenty of free tables felt comfortable doing so. If there was a lunch rush I'd pack up and move on. Any more than 2 hours, probably would have bought some more items. It's not really any different from if you were to meet a friend for a couple of hours.

I think that sounds fine! Lots of cafes round me are encouraging people to work from them and you’ve bought a decent amount.

Just don’t do video calls from a cafe and then glare at people daring to have conversations nearby like I encountered one chap doing recently.

I think what you did was fine, even if using their plug sockets too.

It isn't okay to just sit and nurse one drink, or just order tap water, for hours whilst you work. I think ideally buying a drink or something once an hour ought to be the minimum when using their space to work/study.

Also keeping an eye on how busy it is - if it gets busy and there are no tables for customers buying food/drink, then you should consider moving or letting others share your table.

Oh, and yes - no phone calls, zoom calls, etc.

I have to say, my employer's working from home policy specifically excludes you from working anywhere other than your main residence. I'd be concerned about connecting to a public WiFi and/or being overheard on calls/meetings, or sensitive data being overlooked from another table.

That being said, I've brought my uni work to a before. If I stay less than an hour, I'd buy a drink and a snack. Anything over an hour, I'd buy a meal and drink. I try not to use power there unless necessary as you're often limited in your choice of seating.

On one occasion I visited a cafe and brought a book to read, I had to listen to a teaching training advisor working remotely next to me and it wasn't half off-putting!

Absolutely fine. You bought food and a drink, and didn't take the piss by sitting there all morning nursing a single cup of black coffee.

I used be a manager of a shop that happened to be opposite a Costa. We often had management meetings in Costa - sitting there for an hour or two with coffees and maybe some cake. I even had my interview in there

2 hours, spent decent amount, there were no people waiting, then totally fine.

This is good to hear thank you. I wouldn't dream of doing a zoom, although some were! I was just reading stuff whilst I couldn't be at home/office. I felt like I bought more than the others who were working there, but its hard to judge sometimes.

DH and I had a coffee and cake in a cafe yesterday. It was busy and space was very limited. There was someone with a laptop, on the phone, with an empty coffee cup. She’d clearly been there a while at least, before we came and was there when we left.

If I were in charge of the cafe, I’d expect people working to order coffee/tea and lunch if they were there all morning, especially when it’s busy.

I work on my laptop in cafes sometimes. I think it's ok if you spend a reasonable amount like you did and there are other spare tables available.

Sounds reasonable to me, no different than if you went there and chatted with a friend for a couple of hours. I often work in a cafe, I buy 2-3 drinks, a lunch and then a bit of cake or snack over a few hours and they don't seem to mind.

I previously worked for a business where staff often travelled to other cities for a meeting and then would work the rest of the day in a cafe. The company "rule" was if working in a cafe you had to buy something every hour, so for 2 hours a drink and then some lunch sounds fine. It's not ok to rock up at 9am, buy a single coffee and then work for the next 8 hours. I think the 1 purchase per hour rule is pretty fair

I like the one item per hour rule, I might stick to that

As long as there's spare tables and you buy something once an hour it's fine. If they are full then it's time to leave. My local cafe allows wfh from 8am until midday then from 2pm until 5pm

I think so long as buying adequate amounts (Ie not 1 coffee for a whole day) you are not spreading out over a large space and particularly if round lunchtime others can get a table then it's fine.

employer's working from home policy specifically excludes you from working in public places.
using unsecured wifi can also be a risk.

if both above are not an issue use anti-spy foil for your screen.

Oft. Just wanted to say. there's nothing wrong with black coffee drinkers 😂I don't like milk, much less in my coffee.

When I was on a job hunt between roles, to keep a routine I would often go and spend 10-12.30 or so "working" on job applications each weekday morning and I'd have a black coffee and then a Coke or similar, maybe with a snack. It was always quiet so I felt it was fair.

I do like going to a cafe when I have work that needs no distractions - working on a doc with no internet access (and an out of office on) is blissful, and gets round the public internet concerns. I always work with my back to a wall and lock my screen.