Imagine the scene. It’s a bright, sunny day, and instead of working from the grim bedroom of your basement flat-share, you decide to treat yourself and head out for the day. You arrive at your favourite local café; order an artisanal (read: expensive) coffee and pastry; get yourself settled in a window seat where you can people-watch in between tasks; and pull out your laptop. But wait – an invisible line of red tape has been crossed! You’ve unwittingly committed a cardinal sin at this particular establishment! The barista gives a passive-aggressive cough and nods towards the window, where a jaunty “No laptops please! Thanks for understanding (winky face)” sign sits in judgement.
This scenario is increasingly becoming a reality in independent cafés across the UK. A recent Guardian article referenced three separate London proprietors who explained the reasoning behind their enforced computer ban. One business owner cited the “energy” being off when his three branches were full of hunched, silent punters tapping away on laptops rather than a community of people chatting and laughing. But the main motivation seemed to be cold, hard cash. “People would buy a tea that cost £3 and would sit there all day… you just can’t afford to keep an establishment going like that,” he said. Another café owner decided to restrict laptop use to one hour a day and make it strictly verboten on weekends after feeling like his cosy coffee shop had turned into an unofficial coworking space.
