Working from a coffee shop?

[ManhattanNY]

Let me firstly caveat this by saying I have no more than a passing curiosity. I’m not upset or anything like that, I just wondered if this is usual? It’s a lighthearted thread. I’m not trying to judge or shame. I’m simply bored on a Sunday and wondering.

DH and I were free yesterday, so I suggested a drive to our local Costa, where we could sit down and chat about an upcoming trip, with a coffee and one of their yummy Bakewell tarts.

When we got there around 10am it was heaving, without a single table spare. DH and I have a favourite seat in the corner and a man was working there on his laptop. No problem, we decided to leave it for today and do something else instead.

We went to the next town and visited Primark, did some other bits. Paid a visit to MiL and then went to Sainsbury’s, did some shopping, mainly cupboard stuff.

On route home around 5.15pm DH said, come on, let’s get that Costa, so we popped in. This time lots of free tables, so got our coffee and enjoyed 45 mins. But I noticed that the guy from that morning was still on his laptop in the corner seat.

As I say, just curious. I’ve never thought of working all day from a coffee shop, but I could see why it’s nice. Of course I’m assuming he’s working, I guess he could be gaming. But it also seems a bit impolite to take up a table all day - I guess he’s paying for drinks though.

just curious if this is a thing and how long do you spend on your coffee shop visits?

I'm not allowed to as I have confidential information on my laptop so I can only work from home, with nobody else in the room or in the office. I think it would be nice though.

I take customer calls so can't as I would piss people off being on the phone all day, and it's too noisy. So home it is!

Places like Costa are full of people remote working because they have plugs and comfortable chairs and the staff don’t care. It’s a change from working at home.

Independent places aren’t because the owners do care and generally that’s where people want to go for short social meets.

Costa really isn’t very nice, the Bakewell tarts are industrial like the rest of the food. Is there no where nicer you can go?

🥱

Be glad you are in the privileged position of being able to feel bored, not in the distressing position of having your pain and disability rubbed in your face by Kosta, and needing to protect your daughter from the sight of Kosta due to the anger and distress it causes to have he mum's life threatening condition mocked

People who say of course they buy food and drink throughout the day, don’t hog a table for 4 etc. DS had a temp job in a coffee shop and you must have been the only one.

Others had no such issues and brought ONE coffee and hogged it for hours on end and don’t get him started on the groups of Mums who again brought one coffee and spread themselves out massively (and left a right old mess)

Costa and Starbucks are vile with their dried up food and overpriced coffee BUT they often have queues of people so I guess it’s just me…

She also said there wasn't a single other table spare.

If you're going try to attack or patronise someone, at least make sure you're not showing yourself up as being unable to grasp everything in an opening post.

I do this in a small family run local cafe near the school. Several other parents do too. Not all day, just an hour, as driving back should take 10 mins but at 8.50 takes 45 mins sometimes due to London traffic. So I let the traffic die down and get home in 10, take it as part of my lunch break

Plus I don’t always get a chance to have breakfast and it kills two birds one stone, his pastries are delicious and great wifi

I've never worked in a coffee shop but my job involves private and sensitive info so wouldn't risk it.

But, I'm also doing a degree and funnily enough went to a costa to finish off an essay recently. I found that I was procrastinating and distracted at home sitting at my desk. So, the hum and busyness of the coffee shop actually made me focus (I guess feeling more accountable to a room of strangers?!) Had my EarPods in and a chilled background playlist going. Will defo do it again!

Ah, I see. Well I was unsure, but thought that it might be quite excessive to hold a table for over 7 hours. It really wasn’t about a specific table. I was just surprised to see the customer still there after all of that time. To see two different customer's would have been expected though.

If you were ‘hogging’ something else it might seem impolite, so I asked if this was a thing. I was quite happy to be told ‘it’s normal’ and having read a lot of replies I can understand the appeal. I haven’t seen anyone yet who has spent an entire working day in Costa though.

Maybe the customer went away and came back again?

Could have done.

I'm a teacher with small children. This feels more like "me time" than trying to make plan and be interrupted all the time! Actually I've got a costa coffee voucher I got from a parent at Christmas so think I'll do exactly this next sat morning! Quite looking forward to it!

But that possibility aside, I do think working seven hours in a coffee shop is excessive. How ever, there could be many reasons - kitchen or bathroom being done, no home office space, wife working also at home and wants to save his marriage by not being under each other’s feet all day, finding WFH detrimental to his mental health and so on. So I would probably 🤷🏻‍♀️ and think it’s not what I would do, but it’s not harming anyone either.

If the coffee shop is fine with it then sure why not

But I would not just hang around not spending money

I think it's rude to take prime seats. If you want to work there sll day on the free wifi sit at a wooden table with wooden seat in the middle of yhe room.
You say he is buying coffee through the day. But he is taking the space of 2 people (not many would be confident enough to go sit with him). He has been there 7 hours. Most customers would be there 45min. So he would need to buy 10 coffees to recoup normal intake. You really think he is?

My DP does this. Costa is his favourite as he takes a reusable cup so gets double beans (their loyalty points). He had 52 free drinks on the app at one point.

The cafe in my local garden centre has a whole section geared up for people to work in. The area had loads of plugs and mini tables for one. It’s a massive and very modern cafe.

I’m starting to wish I could work from Costa too 😅 I’m not sure the other patrons would like my class of 32 in there though.

I wouldn't do this, I need a proper set up with multiple screens. Working just off the laptop screen is a nightmare for me, I'd only do it as a last resort.

My job is majority WFH. I get cabin fever, and so for half a day a week I work in a cafe. I’d go mad otherwise! I buy plenty of coffees and snacks

I also get stimulated by noise and would be driven mad in a quiet workspace - when WFH I put the TV on or play YouTube in the background

This is literally why coworking spaces exist.

Coffee shops have loud children and no security (can't leave laptop on the table when you pop to the toilet etc). Co-working spaces cost about the same as coffee is free so you end up spending about the same bit it's a better environment and more secure.