Don't Do This at Coffee Shops

I have a confession to make: I was a coffee shop camper. As a freelance writer, I don't work in an office, so my kitchen table was my desk. But then, I found my solace in the coffee shop. Not only did my productivity go through the roof (I was no longer spending an hour carefully crafting my lunch or folding laundry), but I also felt more creative. Apparently, research agreed with me.

A study by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that moderate levels of noise, about 70 decibels, enhanced performance on creative tasks. Ravi Mehta, an assistant professor of business administration who was involved with the study said the hum of ambient noise one finds in a coffee shop provides just enough distraction.

“This distraction makes you think at a broader level than the way you would normally think. When you have to come up with new, out of the box ideas, like in writing, that involves creativity.”

So while my writing benefited, I didn’t realize the coffee shop was suffering. I was camping out for hours at a time, not purchasing anything. Much to my chagrin, I even once brought my own lunch, and at a shop I visited once a week for three months, I only purchased something twice.

When I shared my habits with friends, they politely scolded me. “I think you should at least to buy one thing.” “Would you go into a restaurant and sit there without ordering anything?”

Was I the only one out there, leeching off the good will of community coffee shops? I began to research, and found that I was among a group of people who were silently detested by not just coffee shop owners, but customers as well.

I decided to expose my bad habits, and more importantly, I vowed to never set foot in a coffee shop without purchasing something again. I sought out coffee shop managers at my favorite spots, and gained a new perspective, one that had been staring me in the face.

“We like to be that public house where anyone is welcome all the time, but being realistic we have a lot of bills to pay,” said Octane Coffee’s Westside manager Michael Packard. “Even if you don’t take up room or use power, our business has to pay for overhead costs like water, the bathrooms and lighting, all of which people tend to use. It sounds harsh, but we think of it like you’re renting your seat.”

And yes, Packard said they notice when you don’t pay your dues. “After working here you develop a memory of the last 40 or 50 things you’ve seen in the last hour, and we know the people we haven’t talked to.”

Reconciling my ways, I went to the pros, AKA regulars, to see what they thought of ‘people like me.’ Matthew Watkins has been coming to Octane Coffee for seven years, since he was a student at Georgia Tech. He works remotely from the shop four to five days a week.

“When more people are here, it helps create an environment,” said Watkins. ““It doesn’t bother me, but it’s not my business. I will usually purchase two to three things each time I’m here though. I feel like that is acceptable. I’m spending about $12 per day.”

The verdict? Yes, you can “camp out” all day in a coffee shop. But adhere to these common practices.

• The cost breakdown: tips go directly to the baristas, while purchases go to the labor and coffee.
• Be considerate of other people's space. Don't spread papers out across an entire table. Some of the weirdest things Packett has seen: "we had one guy come in toting a giant computer driver and full-sized monitor." Back when Octane had couches, he saw couples come in and take naps.
• Come with your devices charged. Power outlets are often scarce in coffee shops, and many are strategically placed. At Dancing Goats Coffee Bar in Decatur, I counted 40 plugs, most of which were concentrated by the chairs at the front and the communal tables in the back. Once charged, unplug so another person can use them.
• Using your phones is okay. However conference calls on speakerphone are not. "Keep it to a reasonable level," said Easterwood. " Remember others are working around you. Most people go outside if it is an important conversation."
• Don't bring in outside food or beverages. Even though it doesn't take away from the business directly, Packard said, "we hate to tell you, but it takes away from our potential to have business, because you are taking a seat that a paying customer could have." And on that note, be sure to clean up after yourself when you leave. Many shops have tubs for you to put used dishes and mugs.

As I began practicing my newfound coffee shop etiquette, I found myself acting more like a regular. The employees at Octane Coffee greeted me by name as I walked in. They offered me samples of their latest concoctions. They know I like sparkling water with fresh squeezed lemon.

It was much different from my previous entrances, where I would beeline to a table in the back of the shop, hoping to be unnoticed. I look forward to each day that I check in to my new “office.” I sit at the coffee bar silently high-fiving myself not just for supporting a local shop, but a new group of friends.