Laptops banned in cafe

[Pricklylikethecactus]

A cafe in Canterbury has banned laptops after people asked staff to be quiet when they were on zoom calls, asked for the music to be turned off and generally ruined the atmosphere. They also said that these customers blocked tables, that could be used by more profitable customers as many of these people would just by a £3 coffee and keep the table for several hours.

I’ve worked from cafes from time to time, but always try to make sure I spend a some money periodically-even if it is a cake to take home or an extra coffee to pay my way, but I do see others just paying for a single drink.

Is this cafe in Canterbury right, are these people taking the piss? And do you ever do this and find somewhere to work for several hours and only spend a tiny amount-and why is that ok? These places are trying to run a business after all.

Good, most cafes here have either banned working, made it chargable or have set ours. A really nice cafe I go to runs a daily stay and play session where parents pay a fee on top of their coffee etc and their children can play in the small indoor play area with a member of staff. The cafe owner made the laptop hours coincide with this, it can be quite amusing looking at annoyed workers who are too tight to pay for somewhere listen to children playing for an hour.

Why on earth would you sit in a cafe for that?!

Yes but what a joy if you are a working parent and can sit on a laptop while your child plays nearby being looked after. I would have absolutely loved that before my daughter went to school

Libraries

I don't think people should be able to sit nursing one coffee all day, laptop or not. However, shouldn't the cafe be banning all unprofitable customers? I am single so I would be taking up a table that could be used by 2. I would also waste time by dithering on my phone instead of necking my coffee. Profitable customers would be chatting with their friends but also probably ordering more. They should ban single people from looking at phones, reading a book or a newspaper. A cafe should be a happy convivial people and too many lone customers staring at a screen or the printed word will put the profitable happy family market off.

Should people be allowed to use laptops in a cafe if they are not working but browsing MN?

Where else would I meet friends for coffee and cake? A cafe seems a very logical choice!

Good for them.

good
no phones dogs or children under 7
nice and quiet, music in low volume
is pack all the time

They should ban single people from looking at phones, reading a book or a newspaper. A cafe should be a happy convivial people and too many lone customers staring at a screen or the printed word will put the profitable happy family market off.

Not sure if this was a serious suggestion but if so definitely not a good idea. There should be a mix of people in cafes and that person who sometimes comes alone may come back with their army of friends next time. If you go there as a group in a way it’s quite nice to be next to a quiet person drinking their coffee as their conversation wouldn’t interfere with yours lol

Just go to weatherspoons. Cheap drinks with free refills and no one cares how long you sit there.

You know councils have closed lots of libraries don't you?

Plus, that would defeat the object of going to a cafe. If I want/need to work in silence, that's WHEN I will work at home.

I got to a cafe because the white noise of moderate chatter, coffee machines being fired up, all helps me to concentrate in other ways.

It WAS what they were for... however many companies closed their offices during covid and didn't reopen them, effectively forcing people to work at home inside their four walls 8 hours a day/five days a week. And you wonder why people go to coffee shops?

I went to a restaurant by the sea the other day and it had a wide range of tables for customers and an island with loads of power points to seat about six laptops.

That would make sense in cafes but perhaps not versatile to cover the busy/quiet variations.

There are paid for working spaces available in most major towns and cities. It’s not the responsibility of small coffee shops to house unhappy WFHers.

I WFH and nip down for lunch then back home to work.

@HelloJillll Only well paid workers are going to be happy to pay for office space. office space should not cost employees.

About time! Fed up of hearing confidence information in a public area. I know a certain large company was going to get rid of a member of staff. I almost emailed the company with the name of the member of staff and the reason but dd was being three and by the time I'd dealt with it and moving on my mum brain couldn't remember the staff members name...I know the company still. I think people who work in cages etc don't realize how much their sharing and tbh the fact they could be risking their job doing it.

About time! Fed up of hearing confidence information in a public area. I know a certain large company was going to get rid of a member of staff. I almost emailed the company with the name of the member of staff and the reason but dd was being three and by the time I'd dealt with it and moving on my mum brain couldn't remember the staff members name...I know the company still. I think people who work in cages etc don't realize how much their sharing and tbh the fact they could be risking their job doing it.

More places should do this.

I was in my local Costa recently and couldn't get a table because they were being used up by lots of people on zoom calls.

That plus our library doesn’t have a toilet..

Then that’s an issue the employee needs to take up with their employer.
Presumably, the employee is saving travel costs by not having to travel into work. Can not some of that money be used to rent an office space?

Can't say I blame the cafe owner for doing this if the people working on their laptops were acting so entitled.

My DP WFH, and spends most of his working day in cafes, as he hates working from his actual home. He chain drinks tea, so is not hogging the same drink for hours. He will go home though if he has a meeting.

@ThisCoolGreenTiger Do you understand what life is like as a low paid worker? The bus fare to my office costs £4 a day return. I have never come across a co working space that is as cheap as that.

office space should not cost employees.

It shouldn't cost cafe owners either.

I am going to do what is best for me though.

I am going to do what is best for me though.

And the cafe owner will do what is best for them.