Most of the Alterra cafes have unlimited Wi-Fi usage, but some - like the popular lakefront and Prospect locations - have an “on / off” system that limits customers to a certain amount of free wireless time during peak hours. “Most people are aware that if they’re going to hang out all day and not buy something, they’re going to feel guilty,” says Blanchard. Hence, many café dwellers choose to buy something to stay in their seat guilt-free. Now, people are more accustomed to working mobile,” says Dave Blanchard, the director of stores for Alterra Coffee Roasters.īlanchard says the mobile working culture more or less regulates itself, and most people recognize when there are more customers than there are tables. “When people started ‘officing’ all day long in cafes, it was more of an issue. Sometimes, the 'rules' are blatantly ignored or abused, but for the most part, café customers play fairly.

How long is it appropriate to sit in a café without buying something? If you pop for a sandwich and a drink, should you be able to spend as much time as you’d like working in the café, or should a customer purchase more items if planning to stay in the café for an extended period of time? When people choose to study or work at a café as a substitute for an office or a library - sometimes spending four to six hours at a time sitting in the coffee shop - café owners hope that they will adhere to the unwritten rules of conduct.

Homework in a cafe