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'We don't want to be an office:' Café owners are pulling the plug on WiFi
When HotBlack Coffee opened in downtown Toronto a year ago, it took a risk few businesses would dare take in today's online-driven world: it turned off the WiFi.
"Every day people come in and ask for it," says Jimson Bienenstock, the café's co-owner.
Still, he hasn't wavered.
"In the short term, it hurt us," Mr. Bienenstock says. "It took us longer to become established, but once we reached critical mass, it has become a self-fulfilling virtuous circle."
While most cafés offer free WiFi, including large chains such as Starbucks, McDonald's and Tim Hortons, HotBlack is among a small but growing number of independent coffee shops choosing to ditch or limit Internet use. By not offering WiFi, they're hoping to create more of a community atmosphere where people talk to each other instead of silently typing on their computers.
If coffeeshops come to discourage people working, perhaps that activity can shift to libraries.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bradley13 on Tuesday May 02 2017, @11:29AM (7 children)
I hate coffee shops. A bunch of assholes come in and monopolize all the tables in the place for hours on end.
Why do people go into a coffee shop? Basically no one goes there to "just" drink a coffee. Maybe they want to chat with a friend. Maybe they want to read a book. Maybe they need to write a couple of emails on their laptop. I don't understand why another person's choice of activity has any impact on you.
If it's a coffee shop you value, talk to the management. Maybe they want to think about which clientele they want to appeal to. If some people are occupying tables without purchasing anything (or enough), the staff is justified in asking them to leave. If they *are* consuming, then ask yourself why your patronage is any more important than theirs...
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday May 02 2017, @11:40AM (2 children)
In NYC coffee shops are the place you go to have business meetings, if you don't have your own office (if, say, you're a freelancer of some kind). It is quite difficult to find other meeting space that's large enough and quiet enough and specific enough ("Meet me in Central Park" doesn't quite work).
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Tuesday May 02 2017, @02:28PM
In NYC coffee shops are the place you go to have business meetings, if you don't have your own office (if, say, you're a freelancer of some kind). It is quite difficult to find other meeting space that's large enough and quiet enough and specific enough ("Meet me in Central Park" doesn't quite work).
And I've had quite a few meetings in such places. As well as bars, restaurants and other similar places.
Meeting in Central Park (depending on the context) can be quite productive. "Meet me at Bethesda Fountain," or "Let's have lunch at the Boathouse," or "let's meet at Cleopatra's Needle." The issue is more that it's generally not near most folks' place of business, not that it's inconvenient, IMHO.
Interestingly, I find that coffee shops in Midtown are often less crowded during the day (not counting the morning rush and mid-afternoon) than those in more residential areas.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Tuesday May 02 2017, @03:47PM
and specific enough ("Meet me in Central Park" doesn't quite work)
That's why you give them GPS coordinates for your meeting place. If they're too stupid to figure out how to get there, then they aren't worth meeting.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday May 02 2017, @12:06PM
Because its the oldest story in the history of economics, my $7 is worth less to me than a cup of coffee so I'm pissed I can't make the exchange with someone who prefers my $7 more than owning a cup of coffee? I mean the NYSE or chicago commodity pits never said "nah we're full" to anyone.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday May 02 2017, @02:46PM (1 child)
Why do people go into a coffee shop? Basically no one goes there to "just" drink a coffee.
Just to note: this is a very American perspective. Having hung out at many French and Italian cafes/bars (espresso is often found in "bars" in Italy), there are lots of folks who just come in and drink a coffee/espresso/cafe creme. Particularly popular in places with outdoor seating. Yes, the "regulars" will often chat a bit, but mostly they're just there for a cup in the morning or an afternoon "pick me up" or whatever.
Also, even in the U.S., many coffee shops in walkable busy central squares in cities cater to these sorts of folks too. They just want to come in and generally have a quick cup. Nowadays with "to-go" cups as the default most places, it's more rare, but people used to just sit down and drink for 10-15 minutes or whatever. Also, I know this makes me sound like an "old geezer," but people used to be content just sitting somewhere for 10-15 minutes without pulling out a smartphone or laptop or whatever for distraction. I'm NOT saying these trends are some sort of "end of civilization" or whatever others might say, but people really DID come to just sit and drink coffee before wifi and constant connectivity became so common.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Wednesday May 03 2017, @12:48AM
Just sit outside in the shade of a Provence sycamore tree. Have a drink and a bite. Chat with friends. Watch people walking by. Chat with random table doing the same. Check the Asian tourists looking for buildings and missing the point. Walk away after an hour or two, less if the place is full.
Southern European know how to properly enjoy wasting time...
(Score: 2) by gidds on Wednesday May 03 2017, @12:52PM
Yeah; but none of that squares with their stated reason for blocking wifi:
I don't visit coffee shops very often, but if I do, then it might be with a group of people so I can enjoy a conversation with them. If so, then extraneous noise isn't a benefit.
Or it might be to chill out and read a book. If so, then extraneous noise isn't a benefit.
Or it might be to kill time before doing something else. If so, then extraneous noise isn't a benefit.
In fact, extraneous noise isn't a benefit for any possible reason I can think of for visiting!
So why on earth would anyone choose a coffee shop for its high noise level?!
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