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I spend a lot of time working in "normal" cafés. I'm struggling to see the benefit of paying for time and having sustenance (e.g. coffee) be free, instead of p

I spend a lot of time working in "normal" cafés. I'm struggling to see the benefit of paying for time and having sustenance (e.g. coffee) be free, instead of paying for sustenance and having the time be free. I've never once been asked to leave a cafe after I've paid for __, and subsequently spent a few hours there.

tonyedgecombe 5y ago
>I've never once been asked to leave a cafe after I've paid for __, and subsequently spent a few hours there. I guarantee the proprietor will be complaining as soon as you have left.
- bananamerica 5y ago
  Why should I care about a hypothetical complaint I will never hear about?
  - pantulis 5y ago
    Because if someone complains about you it is because they feel you did them some wrong. You should try to lead your life not making others think you are offending them because society as a whole is better when people are happy and not pissed off.
    - bananamerica 5y ago
      But its hypothetical, meaning that it may no even exist. If it ceases to be hypothetical I can act on it, otherwise why should I care?
- goodcanadian 5y ago
  I guarantee the proprietor will be complaining as soon as you have left. If the place was busy and you were occupying a table without ordering anything, maybe. But if the place was otherwise fairly empty, they probably don't mind very much. It can even be a benefit to have a few tables occupied so that the place doesn't look completely dead.
- briga_ 5y ago
  It depends on the place. There is a place I go to in Berlin sometimes where if you show up, they'll ask you what you want once, and never again, and they'll leave the cup on your table until you re-order through your own initiative. This is a very nice system that I'm sure they do to attract laptop people during the day (it's otherwise always at least half empty during that time). There is a sign on the wall that kindly tells people to put away the laptop after 21:00 which is when they get busy. I think it's a fair deal. You get office space for the price of a coffee and they get someone in an otherwise empty café during the day. (Who often order a bit more than just a coffee anyway).
- ACow_Adonis 5y ago
  Hell, half of the time (pre-covid) I/we used to end up in conversations with the propietor during these slower times and we'd catch up on how things were going. Once you find a place you like, it's not like most people are just anonymous singletons coming in and ordering a coffee and taking up a table for a whole day. You keep the place busy during slow periods, other people see the place has custom, and depending on what's there you'll invite friends or other people over or drop by at other times for meals. On the weekends or during particular busy times, sure. But usually you need lunch or dinner during those times as well, or you'll invite people for those times. The successful cafes around here got quite skilled at appealing to the different groups and swinging demands throughout the day. The after-work crowd is different from the workday crowd is different from the tourists and the weekenders is different from the locals, and you need to keep all of them happy to keep the place ticking over and remain profitable. It's not just a substitution between all types of customers...
jamiethompson 5y ago
One benefit I can think of is that you might be willing to pay to sit somewhere but not actually want to purchase food or drinks. I put on weight very easily and whenever I go to a Cafe or even a quiet McDonalds to use the free wifi, I always end up consuming more calories than I should. I have very little will power and that coupled with feeling the obligation to buy something at least once per hour isn't necessarily a healthy combination of factors for me.
elondaits 5y ago
Usually the Wifi is better and not capped to a max time per day. Usually entry-exit to the venue is controlled, so you can leave your computer at the table while going to the toilet. Normally most people there are working… so even though there might be people talking around you there are no kids running or babies screaming. In the Paris anticafes you could also order delivery or bring your own food along to reheat in the microwave… godsend if you are working often from the place and don’t want to subsist on sandwiches or whatever limited options most cafes carry. There is also a networking component: bulletin board for freelancers, weekly social events (talks and board game nights), plus the fact that you’re most likely surrounded by IT and design professionals.

tonyedgecombe 5y ago

>I've never once been asked to leave a cafe after I've paid for __, and subsequently spent a few hours there. I guarantee the proprietor will be complaining as soon as you have left.

bananamerica 5y ago
Why should I care about a hypothetical complaint I will never hear about?
- pantulis 5y ago
  Because if someone complains about you it is because they feel you did them some wrong. You should try to lead your life not making others think you are offending them because society as a whole is better when people are happy and not pissed off.
  - bananamerica 5y ago
    But its hypothetical, meaning that it may no even exist. If it ceases to be hypothetical I can act on it, otherwise why should I care?
goodcanadian 5y ago
I guarantee the proprietor will be complaining as soon as you have left. If the place was busy and you were occupying a table without ordering anything, maybe. But if the place was otherwise fairly empty, they probably don't mind very much. It can even be a benefit to have a few tables occupied so that the place doesn't look completely dead.
briga_ 5y ago
It depends on the place. There is a place I go to in Berlin sometimes where if you show up, they'll ask you what you want once, and never again, and they'll leave the cup on your table until you re-order through your own initiative. This is a very nice system that I'm sure they do to attract laptop people during the day (it's otherwise always at least half empty during that time). There is a sign on the wall that kindly tells people to put away the laptop after 21:00 which is when they get busy. I think it's a fair deal. You get office space for the price of a coffee and they get someone in an otherwise empty café during the day. (Who often order a bit more than just a coffee anyway).
ACow_Adonis 5y ago
Hell, half of the time (pre-covid) I/we used to end up in conversations with the propietor during these slower times and we'd catch up on how things were going. Once you find a place you like, it's not like most people are just anonymous singletons coming in and ordering a coffee and taking up a table for a whole day. You keep the place busy during slow periods, other people see the place has custom, and depending on what's there you'll invite friends or other people over or drop by at other times for meals. On the weekends or during particular busy times, sure. But usually you need lunch or dinner during those times as well, or you'll invite people for those times. The successful cafes around here got quite skilled at appealing to the different groups and swinging demands throughout the day. The after-work crowd is different from the workday crowd is different from the tourists and the weekenders is different from the locals, and you need to keep all of them happy to keep the place ticking over and remain profitable. It's not just a substitution between all types of customers...

jamiethompson 5y ago

One benefit I can think of is that you might be willing to pay to sit somewhere but not actually want to purchase food or drinks. I put on weight very easily and whenever I go to a Cafe or even a quiet McDonalds to use the free wifi, I always end up consuming more calories than I should. I have very little will power and that coupled with feeling the obligation to buy something at least once per hour isn't necessarily a healthy combination of factors for me.

elondaits 5y ago

Usually the Wifi is better and not capped to a max time per day. Usually entry-exit to the venue is controlled, so you can leave your computer at the table while going to the toilet. Normally most people there are working… so even though there might be people talking around you there are no kids running or babies screaming. In the Paris anticafes you could also order delivery or bring your own food along to reheat in the microwave… godsend if you are working often from the place and don’t want to subsist on sandwiches or whatever limited options most cafes carry. There is also a networking component: bulletin board for freelancers, weekly social events (talks and board game nights), plus the fact that you’re most likely surrounded by IT and design professionals.