Why You Love Working from the Coffee Shop

The smell of freshly roasted espresso beans. The light hum of patron chatter. The nostalgic music playing throughout the room.

Coffee shops are some of the most popular spots to work outside the office. Whether you’re a hybrid employee who prefers to spend your work-from-home days anywhere but home or you’re a remote worker who likes to start your day surrounded by other caffeine-craving early birds, there’s something about working from a café that just feels different.

However, as more people come to prefer working from coffeehouses, it’s forced shop owners and laptop lovers alike to consider the sometimes negative impact this has on the business itself.  Some cafés have even had to take measures to limit (or entirely stop) their customers’ ability to work in their establishments.

So, why do people love working from coffee shops so much, and, perhaps more importantly, how can they do so in a way that respects the business and those around them? From scientific sensory effects to social logic, let’s get some answers and tips for proper remote work etiquette.

Why Working at the Coffee Shop Works for You

When you sit down to get some work done at your local coffeehouse, do you feel like you’re more focused and productive? Do creative ideas flow more quickly than they do when you’re at home or in your office? Maybe you just feel like you’re in a better mood overall. There’s a reason for all of that.

You’re Hit with the “Coffee Shop Effect” 

No, it’s not in your head. Well, it is, but maybe not in the way you think. That rush of productivity and happiness you feel when working at cafés is due to something called the “coffee shop effect.” And it’s caused by one main thing: stochastic resonance – more commonly known as background noise.

See, when you have just the right amount and volume of background noise – in this case, softly clinking coffee cups, muffled chatter, and the café’s music of choice – it stimulates your brain to enhance your mood and improve decision-making. It also pulls you from the mental rut and makes you view things from a new perspective.

You Break Up Your Visual Monotony

Sitting at your desk with the same view day after day can become dull. Your brain craves novelty. Working at a coffeehouse gives your brain the change it desires.

Aside from a few regulars, the people shuffling in and out for their caffeine fix are different. The music a barista chooses each day varies by employee, changing the overall vibe of the shop. This guessing game of how the café atmosphere will be and who will be there triggers your brain to release dopamine that makes you more productive. 

Your Distractions are Different

As much as some people want to argue otherwise, your office and home are filled with distractions: coworkers walking over to your desk to ask questions; pets demanding attention and treats; and your bed and couch enticing you with a midday nap.

While coffee shops can have a few distractions – a patron cleaning up a spilled drink or your favourite employee pausing for a quick chat – the disturbances are different. Plus, the fact that people are there also trying to get work done means those distractions don’t last long. The same can’t be said for Ted in the office who wants to spend 30 minutes chatting about his weekend golf tournament. 

You’re Motivated by Other Productive People

One of the biggest reasons your productivity skyrockets when you work at coffee shops is due to the “social-facilitation effect.” In its simplest terms, this is a psychological theory that says people perform better when in the presence of others, whether that presence is real or imagined.

So, while no one at the coffee shop is asking for updates on your work or looking over your shoulder, just by seeing other people being productive, your brain encourages you to do the same.

You Have a Time Limit

You can’t sit at the shop all day. (Well, you could, but it would be pretty rude. More on that later.) When you sit down to work at a café, you know you only have so much time to get work done. For example, as long as it takes to finish your drink or before you have to pick up your kids from school. 

This forces you to stay more focused on your tasks, getting them done more efficiently than you may at home or in the office.

Even with all these benefits of working at coffee shops, only some people love the practice.

Not Every Culture Supports Remote Coffee Shop Work

For a number of reasons, there are plenty of people who don’t like seeing remote workers setting up their laptops in their local coffeehouses. In some cases, it has to do with overall café culture. In others, remote workers’ behaviour is to blame.

America versus Europe

American coffee culture tends to be vastly different from that of their European counterparts, making the habit of remotely working at a café something of a hot topic in recent years. 

A few things immediately come to mind:

• The Size of the Beverages: European drinks are often smaller, like espressos and cappuccinos. American drinks are typically larger, at 8oz, 16oz, or even 24oz sizes. That, of course, impacts how quickly a person can finish their drink, and have a ‘right’ to remain at the café.
• The Culture of Coffeeshops: American work culture is very fast-paced and focused on multitasking, making working in coffee shops more socially acceptable. European cultures often view cafés as social locations, so many can consider remote work unwelcome and disrespectful.

This brings a level of frustration to coffee shop owners and patrons, especially with the rise of digital nomads who take to working in cafés as they travel. Regardless of the location, coffeehouses face a new plague as a result of remote work.

The Rise of Laptop Squatters

It’s one thing to order a drink and pastry, work for an hour or two, and be on your way. It’s another to take up a spot at the cafe the entire day. Those who do have been disaffectionately dubbed “laptop squatters.”

These folks are pretty easy to spot in the wild. They’re the people who:

• Order one drink and remain at the coffee shop for hours, including peak times
• Treat the café like their home, bringing big screen set-ups and taking up more space
• Ask staff to turn down the music because it’s too loud for them
• Bring their own food even though the shop offers food
• Take phone calls in the middle of the shop, regardless of the impact on those around them.

While café owners may have initially been excited at the prospect of the traffic remote workers would bring, things quickly took a turn as laptop squatters took up more space. As one café owner in Barcelona, Spain puts it, “At first, we adapted the space with sockets and to work, but after two years, we realised that the numbers weren’t working out.”

In response, cafés across Europe (and even the United States) have started setting time limits for laptop work, charging for wifi, or banning laptops entirely. 

But there has to be a happy medium, doesn’t there? A world in which you can reap the productivity benefits of working at coffee houses without being a burden on shop owners and other guests? 

There is, and it all comes down to self-awareness and respect.

Coffee Shop Etiquette for Remote Works

If you’re planning to get some remote work done at your local café, here are a few things you can do to make sure you, the owner, the staff, and other guests all have an easy time.

1. Make Sure It’s Alright

Especially if you’re travelling, do a bit of research on coffee shop culture. If you’re bouncing around New York City or Chicago, you’re likely to find plenty of cafés that accept remote workers. The same can’t always be said for shops in Paris or Berlin. 

If the answers you find generally discourage working from coffee shops, consider heading to a coworking spot or local library.

2. Pay for Your Seat

Don’t be the person who orders a single drink and hunkers down with your laptop for six hours. After purchasing your drink, limit your time to an hour, two hours tops, if the café isn’t too busy. If you want to stick around longer than that, order another drink and perhaps some food. 

This way, you’re not taking up space that another paying customer could be using and causing low turnover for the shop owner.

3. Limit How Much Space You Take Up

Remember, this isn’t your living room or private office cubicle. Be mindful of how much space your laptop, bag, or other items take up. If you’re at a table that seats a larger group, keep the unused chairs free so other guests can use the space as well.

Also, make sure you clean up any wrappers, napkins, or crumbs before you go. It leaves less work for the staff and allows the table to be ready for other patrons.

4. Take Calls Outside

Nothing ruins your productivity flow quite like someone talking on the phone a few feet away. Do your best to keep your calendar free of any calls while you plan to be at the café. If you need to take a quick* call, take it outside to avoid disturbing other workers. 

*Emphasis on “quick” because it’s rude to ask anyone to watch your belongings for more than a few minutes.

5. Don’t Overstay Your Welcome

Even if you’re spending money on multiple drinks or food, there comes a point when staying at the café for an extended period can concern shop owners. Especially if the space only offers a few tables, get your work done quickly and move on so the café can accommodate new customers who want to sit and relax.

What are your thoughts on folks working from a coffee shop? Do you get excited to join your fellow remote workers or instantly irritated seeing a sea of laptops? Maybe you’ve got a few remote work horror stories.

Share it all in the comments!