ost people I know have some kind of a side project. It might be performing in a local theatre group, being a part of a crafting community, writing a novel or playing in a band. This thrills me – it’s all very awesome stuff and people should definitely do as many creative things as they can fit in their short and wonderful lives. The problem is that many people don’t have the space to meet people to do this, so they end up meeting in cafes. Cafes don’t generally love this but it’s kind of unavoidable. If you find yourself sitting for hours in cafes and using them as your own personal work space, here are a few ways you can continue to do it without pissing off the owners…
Order stuff regularly
You don’t need to be ordering a $7 juice every 5 minutes but one coffee or tea every hour is reasonable, if they’re not too busy. If you think about it in terms of renting a desk, it’s super cheap. $4 for a coffee and a desk is an absolute bargain, even if you don’t feel like having another coffee just order a tea.
Don’t occupy a table at lunch time unless you order lunch
Cafes make money from people buying food and if you’re stopping a family of four from sitting down and ordering four meals you’re costing the cafe about $100. Occupying a whole table at peak hour for a $4 coffee is a bit rude, so just keep that in mind.
Read the vibe
Read the vibe. If the tables are mostly empty and the cafe is really chilled out it shouldn’t be a problem. I used to work in a massive cafe that was in a warehouse and I could sit there all day and they didn’t care. But I still regularly ordered coffees because cafes cost money to run and it’s polite to do that. I’ve also worked in cafes where they bring the bill the second you’re finished – which is also fine. Just read the vibe and play by their rules.
Don’t get grumpy if they bring the bill
It’s a business and it’s not their job to provide you with all the ammenities of an office for an indeterminate amount of time. It’s kind of like having someone to stay at your house and you have no idea how long they’re going to stay for and whether or not your should charge them rent. They either have to leave, or pay rent. The same logic applies to working in cafes.
This week on Straight and Curly, Kelly and I are discussing the benefits of working in a Coffice – a coffee shop office. We look at the science of why this works for some people, why it doesn’t work for others and how to do this without annoying the owner of every cafe near your house.
Speaking of podcasts, this week on Sweet Teen Club, Stacey and I are chatting about the most disturbing book of our youth – Flowers In The Attic. If you felt like you needed therapy after reading that book, you need to listen to this.
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Do you work in cafes? Do you find it awkward as hell? Or do you manage it okay?
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