AIBU to think that buying a coffee doesn't entitle you to squat in a cafe all afternoon?

[MythicalKings]

Inspired by the "reserving tables" thread.

No problem if it isn't crowded but some groups of people think it's ok to sit for a couple of hours or more in a busy café having only bought one drink each.

Last year in Cornwall I even saw one family sneakily get out a sandwich lunch which they ate furtively.

Last week Dsis and I popped into a cafe for a coffee before embarking on a shopping spree for her newly decorated living room. An hour and a half later we went back for lunch and saw the same group of people at the same table with the same empty coffee cups. It was really busy but they pretended not to notice the hovering people with food laden trays.

It is rude and inconsiderate, isn't it?

Yes, if it's quiet it's fine, but if you're blocking paying customers and potentially putting people off buying there, not on in my book.

Its difficult, how do you know that those people had anywhere else to go. I used to sit in McDs for a couple of hours every morning because the only bus to get me to college arrived a couple of hours early. At other times in my life I have been stranded with little money in various places for various lengths of time, for example taking my son to scouts I used to wait outside for two hours for him, because i didn't have time to go home and back. That is just one example. Certainly as a stuggling single mum I have used cafes to wait in many times, when I had no where else to go, and quite possibley couldn't afford more than one drink.

I agree that it is quite inconsiderate.

NCT new mums are the worst for this I know, I used to be one.

How do you know they were the same empty coffee cups though?

Yes it's annoying.

Furtively eating sandwiches in Cornwall, where's the pleasure in that?

Cafes are businesses, though, Little. If people aren't buying they will go broke and close.

As I said, no problem if the place isn't busy, but if it's crowded it's selfish to occupy a seat that could be earning the owners money.

Cliff, have to agree with that, very rude and the bloody prams block the way to other tables, the counter and the loos.

I'm not sure actually.

Why should a café prioritise some one who calls in once in a blue moon for a meal, over NCT mums who are there for a coffee several times a week? Who are the better/more valuable customers?

Apparently it worked out well for JK Rowling.

But to get back to the OP, I tend to think that blocking tables at a busy time is quite inconsiderate.

I know it was the same coffee cups because the owner was muttering about it, Still.

The café owner would prioritise the people who earn his living, I'd have thought, Chertsey. He'll get more money from several groups of food eating customers than a bunch of people who buy one coffee each and squat all morning/afternoon. The valuable customers are the ones who buy food and leave - thus making room for more customers.

Many moons ago when I was a Saturday girl in a burger bar the boss had a "meals only" policy from 12 noon until 2pm. He had no compunction about ushering people out of the door who had been lurking with just one drink.

YANBU

The lone people who hog 3 seater sofas as well really gets my goat also. You know, bag, laptop, feet on sofa opposite, a single coffee.

I'm BF'ing & I wish glad the balls to sit beside them or opposite them & fed DS instead of sitting in an uncomfortable chair by the window.

There's no sand timer over the top of the table. Most people go out for coffee because it gives a nice environment for a chat.

I've seen groups of business people do this - in the small local cafes they buy one coffee then sit there for hours having meetings / interviews & on their laptops / ipads.

The least they could do is order more coffee or even have some cake with it; it must be especially annoying for the café owners when it happens at busy lunchtimes when those tables could be occupied by someone eating.

If I'm going to be in a café for a while for example meeting my friends, I always buy more than just one coffee.

Ho hum - can't too excited about this. Unless you're a cafe owner, I can't see why it bothers you That Much.

I would go up to said people who had finished coffees and ask would they mind terribly if I shared their table to eat lunch? Problem solved.

Cafés don't exist as sanctuaries for people with no where else to go or for people who can't afford more than one drink.
The owner shouldn't just have muttered though. Why wasn't s/he approaching the party and asking them if they'd finished rather than letting new paying customers struggle to find somewhere to sit?
I went recently for lunch to a very popular local café. My friend and I had to wait for about 10 minutes but the staff were clearing away people's cups and asking if they could get them the bill.

ilovesooty, actually I think largely they do.

Cafes can impose minimum limits on the spend at busy times. At other times they want custom, and people with no where else to go are a large proportion of their custom.

I work from home and sometimes spend a whole morning or afternoon in the cafe with a couple of cups of coffee. So what.

The staff have a part to play IMO. I once went into a Starbucks and got a coffee and cake. I had baby DD with me who could have done with a feed but there was only a high stool to sit on, so I sat there and thought I'd feed her later. A member of staff clocked me, and when a comfy seat became free, got another member of staff to bagsie it for me, came to get me and carried all my stuff over there so I could sit and cuddle DD. Starbucks will always be good guys in my book because of that small kindness.

So what? No problem unless you are occupying space that could be filled by someone who is actually spending money on food - and helping the café owner make a living.

If you're squatting there and it's busy then you're selfish and arrogant.

If it bothers the owners/ staff they are not powerless, as others have said. A sign up saying there is a minimum purchase/ max time at busy periods, offering the bill (then insisting).

Some cafés promote themselves as home from home places to hang out (newspapers - even books to read, comfortable sofas etc.) where others promote rapid turn over. Some cater to both markets depending on time of day, and it's down to the owner/ staff to run their business the way that works best.

Cafés are not public services so nobody has a special "right" to see them run any particular way - whether that means as places to sit for hours or as fast turn over places with tables always available. It's down to the owner/ manager to establish the tone of the place and politely convey this to customers - not to mutter grumpily about one group of customers to another!

YANBU but as others have said, the cafe owners need to grow some balls and address it if they think it's a problem.

The manager/owner/staff need to clear the tables and take another order from them or shift them on. It's no good being a patsy when you are in business.

The lone people who hog 3 seater sofas as well really gets my goat also. You know, bag, laptop, feet on sofa opposite, a single coffee

Just because I often need to sit on my own in a cafe I don't see why I should not choose a sofa if one is available (although I wouldn't put my feet on the other one, I was brought up properly). And you'd be welcome to BF opposite me. So YABU about this.

It annoys me as well. If they are actually buying food and drink then I doubt there is anything you can do about it, but I once sat in a Costa Coffee and watched loads of business type people hogging tables. One person sat on a table meant for four, with a laptop in front of them. No coffee or food, just sat there working. Another table had two business "types" sat there obviously conducting a business meeting. Once again no coffee or cake.

And don't get me started on the groups of mummies with their huge shead on wheels type prams who take up a ridiculous amount of space.

These people are just selfish and entitled.

Yanbu at all, if it is busy, you consume your food or drink and leave in good time,not stay for hours. If quiet, than fine.