To ask how long it’s acceptable to sit in a Costa or similar to work?

[Curious2021]

Obviously I’d buy a coffee/cake but what’s the kind of acceptable time limit?

For as long as it takes you to eat / drink the products they sell that should constitute the purpose of your visit. If what you need is office space, why not rent some?

I walked in to a coffee shop (Cambridge) to sit in and it was full of students working on their laptops. It’s annoying when you want to sit in and have a coffee.

They really don't care. I've sat in one for 3 or 4 hours before. I normally buy lunch, a cake, 2 or 3 coffees over that period.

Three hours, as long as you buy something every hour. Just be aware of how busy it is. If it's absolutely heaving and people are walking round with trays looking for a table, then leave.

I work from a coffee shop a lot and it's always almost completely dead, so hypotheticals about six hungry people aren't valid. I'm sure the shop would rather have my two coffees and brownie, than a table that's empty all day.

Can't believe people are saying 15 minutes! No way would I be able to gulp down a coffee and cake in that short a time.

@NannyAndJohn

I don't know what part of "work from home" people don't understand.

I'd be livid if I found out that any of my team were fluttering away hours in a cafe instead of doing what is stated on their contract.

Same, but because its not secure in the slightest. People can steal your information very easily on public wifi, or just delete everything. Not worth it for work stuff. I wonder how many leave their laptops unlocked too while going for a coffee or to the toilet.

Why would you? Just work at home surely.

What are you supposed to do if you live in a bedsit without a desk, or have six noisy housemates?

I work from a coffee shop a lot and it's always almost completely dead, so hypotheticals about six hungry people aren't valid. I'm sure the shop would rather have my two coffees and brownie, than a table that's empty all day.

My 'hypothetical' was based on my experience just as your point is based on yours.

Demand for seating is absolutely huge in my local Costa just now. People are getting turned away constantly because if there is no seat you are not allowed to order unless for take out. We have a member of staff on 'floor' simply to walk the queue, take track and trace from those who cannot do it in a phone and allocate tables.

@ohforarainyday

Why would you? Just work at home surely.

What are you supposed to do if you live in a bedsit without a desk, or have six noisy housemates?

If people no longer have to live near the office surely they can find something more spacious in a cheaper location?

I never use public wifi when I work from a cafe.

Amused by all the comments going "but I work on super duper secure documents and can't legally remove my laptop from the MI6 vault without it physically exploding, I'm baffled by this strange new concept "working from a cafe!"

Obviously it doesn't apply to you, does it?

What's next, someone popping up to explain that, as a brain surgeon, they'd find it hard to perform surgery in the middle of a Starbucks.

I never use public wifi when I work from a cafe.

You don't, but many people do not knowing that it isnt actually secure. But many peoples passwords are also password123. Not many people know how to be secure with their devices. I'd bet half of them in coffee shops walk away from their laptop or phone leaving it unlocked.

If people no longer have to live near the office surely they can find something more spacious in a cheaper location?

Right because moving house is incredibly quick, easy, and cheap. Minimum tenancy terms don't exist, and everyone can easily find the £2k for a tenancy deposit on a new flat. Houses always find sellers instantly, and the actual sale doesn't take months and months.

It's also the easiest thing in the world to just pull your kids out of school and get them a new school place. And for your DH to find a new job. Or if you're a university student, to drop out and find a place somewhere else.

And no one ever has things like family or medical needs keeping them to a certain place.

I've never worked in an office but if I wanted to move house right now it'd probably cost £8k, and leaving the area would cause massive disruption to my career, family, and medical needs. Working from a coffee shop is surely a much easier solution?

Sorry, I don't mean to be so sarcastic. But "just move somewhere cheaper" comes up on MN a lot, when realistically moving house is a pretty major decision that takes a lot of time and money.

I stay for an hour on one coffee at my village cafe - there's always spare seating, and I go in every few days, so in my head I think they don't mind that I use there place to nap DS in his pram, as I'm a regular.

If people no longer have to live near the office surely they can find something more spacious in a cheaper location?

Why do they simply not move to their Cotswolds holiday cottage, or their chateau in the Dordogne?

Ha ha ha

That was directed at @DumplingsandStew

Use a co-working space

I used to work from my local cafe in the evenings and it had a system where you got an hour’s worth of free wi-fi with every drink you bought. So ‘one hour maximum until buying something new’ has always been my personal rule in cafes, and if it’s lunchtime and busy then either buy lunch or move out.

You can stay all day if you keep buying things. I used to sit for 4/5 hours at a time as a student, I’d keep buying coffees and the odd bit of food so I wasn’t just sitting there using the table unnecessarily.

It just needs a bit of self awareness. If it’s rammed and people can’t get tables, you should pack up and leave when your first order is finished. If it’s really quiet, and there are other tables free, crack on and just order something every 30-60 minutes depending on how big your order is.

@Cameleongirl

The independent coffee shop near us has polite signs asking customers not to spend more than 45 minutes at their table. I think that's reasonable given they have limited seating.

But it doesn't matter, if the OP buys things throughout the stay...

I think you should buy something every 45 mins. Basically, be actively eating if drinking whilst there. Otherwise it's not fair on the business or other potential customers. We went upstairs in a cafe once and it looked like an office with laptops set up, 1 person to 4 seater tables and it was deadly quiet. I felt quite uncomfortable being glared at when talking to my family. Really quite an odd atmosphere but the staff must have been fine with it.

I also never use public WiFi when I work from a cafe (and I work in the cybersecurity field). I either work offline on a document or spreadsheet I'm working on and upload it later of use my 4/5g hotspot. I've worked from home in my cramped office every day 9-9 on average (there's no 9-5 when WFH ....) for the best part of 2 years and I'm damn well going to take the opportunity to work for an hour or so from my local Costa now I can again on days when I cba going into our drop in office in London (1.5hr journey).

We went upstairs in a cafe once and it looked like an office with laptops set up, 1 person to 4 seater tables and it was deadly quiet. I felt quite uncomfortable being glared at when talking to my family.

That's rude of them. Some people can act very entitled.

I say that as long as you are buying drinks and preferably some food too, then you can as long as you like. I'd say that out of courtesy try to avoid busy times, and dont sit on a table for 4! Perhaps if you had a spare seat and saw another "lone" customer, you could suggest to them that they join you - (a la Motherland)...