Cafe Society?

[Old Grumpy]

I came across Cafe Grumpy (no relation) on an internet trail having read a post about the ethics occupying a table in a cafe for hours whilst using a laptop. Apparently a number of cafes are now ditching WiFi and banning laptops. I have sometimes wondered what cafe owners think about this. I guess if there's no demand for tables it's not a problem, but would be different if there were a queue outside.

Cafe Grumpy were listed in this article as one of the chains that had banned laptops.

OG

[Stanfordian]

I came across Cafe Grumpy (no relation) on an internet trail having read a post about the ethics occupying a table in a cafe for hours whilst using a laptop. Apparently a number of cafes are now ditching WiFi and banning laptops. I have sometimes wondered what cafe owners think about this. I guess if there's no demand for tables it's not a problem, but would be different if there were a queue outside.

Cafe Grumpy were listed in this article as one of the chains that had banned laptops.

OG

Occupying tables for hours in cafes by business people using laptops is very common and even groups of people for business meetings. I've seen this widely in the cities I visit: Manchester, London, Munich, Dresden and Berlin so I assume its a widespread practice around Europe. The chatter does become annoying at times but it's not too difficult to think of David Brent being one of them and this makes me smile.

[Dave2002]

I came across Cafe Grumpy (no relation) on an internet trail having read a post about the ethics occupying a table in a cafe for hours whilst using a laptop. Apparently a number of cafes are now ditching WiFi and banning laptops. I have sometimes wondered what cafe owners think about this. I guess if there's no demand for tables it's not a problem, but would be different if there were a queue outside.

Cafe Grumpy were listed in this article as one of the chains that had banned laptops.

OG

Maybe they should play classical music as a background. When I first encountered that at Vauxhall station I was pleasantly surprised, but then I found that it was done to keep younger people away! OTOH if it is older people who are hogging the tables, then a "good" dose of whatever is the trash music of the day might do well.

[kernelbogey]

Some seem to be tolerant of this with 'regulars' - and fair enough. It seems to me to be a 'social contract', so there's a moral obigation not to occupy a table when the place is full, unless you order. At least, that is how I treat my local cafe, where I sometimes go to write (but don't take a laptop - others do). As someone who lives on my own, I find this a useful connection with society.

[Richard Tarleton]

Another bane of coffee shops these days is gatherings of young mothers with outsize baby buggies formed into a laager around the tables.....like the wifi users, spinning out single cups of coffee.....

[Old Grumpy]

Another bane of coffee shops these days is gatherings of young mothers with outsize baby buggies formed into a laager around the tables.....like the wifi users, spinning out single cups of coffee.....

Mmm, yes - it was a bit like that yesterday at the Baltic in Gateshead.

OG

[Beef Oven!]

Another bane of coffee shops these days is gatherings of young mothers with outsize baby buggies formed into a laager around the tables.....like the wifi users, spinning out single cups of coffee.....

One of my local Costas is like that. It's got so that I only go in there now if I'm out and need an eye-lash.

[teamsaint]

i spend quite a bit of time working in coffee shops etc especially in London, having a coffee and spending up to an hour working. london coffee shops must get quite a slice of their income from people doing the same.
I’m pretty diligent about not taking up a table for four.

Can’t really see the problem. Anybody queuing to get into a coffee shop ( re the OP) is daft.