Photo: Matt Biddulph
Cafes are the favorite mobile office for location independent professionals. That may soon be past tense, though.
Freelance writers and cafes have always gone hand in hand, but according to the Wall Street Journal, the relationship may soon suffer a permanent break.
The romantic image of the freelance writer sitting in a cozy cafe, sipping a steaming latte and tapping away at their next National Geographic article or bestselling novel, is a common one.
For many writers, the allure of the coffee shop is more than just caffeine addiction. It’s an escape from the distractions at home, where laundry needs folding and the dishes in the sink are begging to be washed. It’s also a solution for lonely writer syndrome, when the need to be with other living, breathing humans becomes unbearable.
While cafe owners used to encourage the regular business, recent economic woes have caused some to change their tune.
At some time or another, most of us have been guilty of nursing a cup of the house blend for hours, plugged in and surfing the web. With the current unemployment rate, it’s no surprise that more and more workers are trying to become location independent.
True penny-pinchers are bringing everything from food to teabags and setting up for the work day in their local cafe, draining electricity and eliminating the need to pay for internet service at home. Meanwhile, potential customers are driven away when they can’t find a table to enjoy their mocha and muffin.
“True penny-pinchers are bringing everything from food to teabags and setting up for the work day in their local cafe….”
Reaction from management is mixed. Unsurprisingly, some have put time restrictions on laptop use, or locks and signs on outlets politely informing customers that laptop plugs are not welcome. A few actually have a ban on laptops altogether. Other cafe owners have expanded their businesses, adding more outlets to encourage regular visits.
That may seem like the ideal option- if, of course, owners can afford it. Cafes are a popular place for business meetings and interviews, and a no-laptop policy or limited WiFi could be a deal breaker in those situations. But if smaller shops are struggling just to keep their doors open, it’s hard to blame them for shooing squatters away.
Where does this leave the travel writer? It’s usually easy enough for someone backpacking in a foreign country to stop at a cafe for a quick drink and a blog update. Perhaps it’s time to pick up the notebook and pen again- saving electricity, sure, but still taking up hours of valuable table time.
What’s the solution? Some claim angry owners are making a mistake by discouraging freelancers, that any business is good business. Can WiFi addicted customers help support their favorite cafe by splurging on a venti macchiato now and then, or is this long romance finally at an end?
Community Connection:
If you’re a location independent professional in one of the Techiest Cities in the World, is this all a moot point?
And what is a location independent professional anyway? Learn more about this special kind of freelancing in 10 Tips for Becoming a Location Independent Professional.
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13 Comments... join the discussion!
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Perhaps an agreement can be made about a 2 drink minimum!
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Haha — nice piece, Julie.
I honestly think there will always be laptop-friendly cafes around in busy cities at least, though I have been shooed out places in rural Britain (Wales, Kent) for not buying enough beverages or using a plug (fair enough I guess).
One thing that can help: I also make sure I tip generously — as much as an extra tea or coffee usually — in my neighbourhood hotspots, where they let me tip-tap away for hours without ever hassling me for more drinks.
I think it’s fair to put something towards not just electricity/WLAN use but also their cool attitude towards these things. After all, a world without cafes is a writer’s worst nightmare. BRRRR!
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Michelle wrote this!
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maybe if the market for freelancers wasn’t diminishing more each day, we could afford more than a cup of coffee. (just kidding. kind of.)
as someone who works in the service industry, i totally understand the financial bummer of watching folks camp out for hours at a table. as paul said, tipping well can take the edge off.
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I hope it’s not over as it’s only just beginning down here in NZ. Most places you have to pay for the internet connection, or you get a one-hour voucher when you buy something. Maybe the voucher system is a good solution for cafe owners. A particular cafe I’m thinking of in Auckland who has that system is ALWAYS full. A happy medium? I mean, you don’t really need the net the whole time…just the space and power, right? I’m shocked that people would treat a cafe like the library and expect to sit there and use the net for hours by buying one or no coffees…I’d be too embarrassed to do that!
Thanks for the article:-)↵ -
It seems fair enough I think. When people start bringing in their own food and drink they’ve crossed the line. The audacity! This is always what happens with privilege, a few bad apples take advantage and overstay their welcome, spoiling it for everyone.
Let’s be reasonable. Maybe not a hard and fast rule where you have limited time, but maybe only during peak times? Or, like Marissa said, some kind of drink/food minimum?
Put yourself in the owner’s shoes, what would you do if a bunch of people who bought one coffee sat there for hours while other customers were walking in the door then leaving after not finding any tables/seats?
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Yeah, I think a few are ruining it for the masses…bringing in a teabag and asking for a cup of hot water is ridiculous.
I completely understand where the owner’s are coming from, but I think imposing a one drink per hour minimum (or something similar) is much more ideal than banning laptops and covering plugs. We might hog the tables occasionally, but freelancers are generally a big part of cafe business!
And I don’t think most people do it to save money. A latte or two a day at Starbucks is far more expensive than a monthly internet bill at home.
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Free market will rule the outcome. They’ll end up doing whatever makes them the most money. I can’t see an all-out ban on laptops or covering electrical outlets happening. And if it does, all it takes is a couple to see how it’s affecting their business, then open it up again and the rest will follow suit.
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When I started reading this article, I thought “Oh, stick in the mud cafe owners!” Then, I read about the people bringing their own tea bags and thought, “Selfish bastards– a $4.00 latte for a couple hours of work isn’t too much to ask.”
I like the idea of getting a voucher when you get a drink; it gives you an hour or two of Internet time. If you want to up the time, you have to buy another drink. Sounds fair to me.
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It’s despicable that someone would bring food and drink INTO a cafe and then have the audacity to sit there for hours stealing wifi and electricity. That’s just wrong.
I have made it a point to go to my favorite coffee shop and buy something every time, even if I”m short on cash. The prices are NEVER all that high. I’ve made friends with the staff and one of the owners, and they are very much into new media and business people. And they seem to be doing quite well as a result.
Perhaps a crowdsourcing of the regulars to help curb the a-holes would work. Help out the shop owner by throwing a good, old-fashioned guilt trip on the wifi gankers.
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Bringing your own food or drink? I can’t beleive anyone would insult a hard working cafe owner by doing that ! I work from cafes roughly twice a week. If you spend a little more than the minimum ( buying lunch instead of just coffee ) and you TIP ……. you’ll be more welcome to stay.
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Spending a few extra bucks is worth it to escape the complete hell that working from home for long periods of time can be.
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