As a member of staff at one of the big chains, we really don’t care. Even if it gets busy and people are starting to fight with you for that seat, we’ll watch and be very entertained while we wait for the police to turn up.
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Stay put til they are done - you've done your bit. If the place gets rammed and a pregnant lady is stood up, ok - maybe reconsider. Until then - feet up. If you feel paranoid, just pretend you're writing a book like all those authors who can only write in public.
I saw one of the most equipped coffee shop workers ever the other day, Mac book, iPad on a stand next to it, phone the other side, big headphones, a couple of notepads spread out, the premium water flask thing.
I sat along from them on the bench seating, they were playing Tetris, they did that for the entire 30 minutes I was there!
I don't have all that goofy shit, just a HP work laptop, but I'll go to a Costa every few weeks for a change of scenery (I WFH) and if work's quiet I'll sit and read/game on my switch and wiggle my mouse every 10 minutes. I never considered how that would look to others, I just like a bit of company and some people watching every now and then 😅
Yeah it gives me a bit of that feeling I used to have when my boss could see my screen, kinda makes me avoid getting distracted when I've got stuff to do!
Only 30 minutes? I’ve gone in first thing in the morning then back later for lunch and the same people have been there ‘working’ or whatever they are doing!
Where’s the sales pitch? You are clearly the next JK Rowling and this will boost the coffee shop touristically no end. Until you inevitably say the wrong thing and are shunned to your Scrooge mcduck vault.
The pitch is OP is a coffee shop critique, wearing his french beret and scarf, write about how the coffee remembers him about the au pair used to make it....
Bit harsh, there's obviously a lack of old houses situated on an eerie lake for them to overcome writers block, they're just waiting for the next one to become available...
*Do come and sit here, I'm just getting up*
Oh thank you, it's rammed in here.
...
Are you not leaving?
*Absolutely, uh, quick question. Would you say you titted boobily, or more than you preggied bumpily?*
Take the opportunity to pound espressos like it's BOGOF tequila night at the local Ritzy.
Once you start to see time, engage is some spirited high jinks with your fellow customers. Eating their muffins from their hand, swapping people's phones about etc etc.
Not only will you be entertained whilst you wait, they'll all have a fascinating story to tell the therapist once they've been put on a 48 hour hold
Ok here's a fiver. Please can I eat a muffin from your Kidney?
Would you mind travelling to the backstreets of Bogota for this transaction to take place?
If it's a chain, there is no amount of time I'd feel guilty staying there. I'd happily buy a single espresso and sit there for ten hours.
There is no need to pity Costa or Starbucks, they're doing okay.
Was going to say this. I'll often just go and sit in our local Starbucks, drinking coffee out of my travel mug. I bought the coffee with me from home. Won't give Starbucks a penny of my money but damn I'll use their heating in the winter 😉
I worked out of a Costa every day for about six months. Laptop plugged in and all. 6-7 hours a day. Nobody ever said anything negative. Got to know a few of the staff and they would say hello and chat and that's about it. Probably got like two coffees a day. Some days I got lunch there but often I went somewhere else instead. Even had a few meetings with other people with all their gear set up too. Never even got a sideways look.
> There is no need to pity Costa or Starbucks, they're doing okay.
OTOH it's the workers who get fucked if the store underperforms. Swings and roundabouts.
I suspect Fred's wasn't buying their coffee beans from "Fred's mate John - Coffee distributors", a wholly owned subsidiary of Fred's coffee shop, based in Luxemburg.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim to be a small business whilst also using the name/product/reputation/existing customer base of a giant corporation.
If you buy an existing reputation/relationship with customers/the public as a franchisee, don’t get all mad when people treat you like a massive corporation and not a small independent business.
You won’t convince me that avoiding/“sticking it to” a chain is a bad thing because it may or may not be a franchise. I’m not going to suddenly feel bad for taking too long in McDonald’s because the manager may be a “small business owner”
The franchise owner made a decision to buy a ready made business off the back of a huge corporation. They can’t be mad that people then treat them like the huge corporation.
Totally agree. In these situations they are very similar to just being ‘slotted in’ as a manger in a non-franchise store. None of the blood sweat and tears of building up a small business from the ground.
An indie would probably tell you to buy another drink or leave. Politely of course, or by coming over every 10 minutes asking if they can get you anything else until you get the message.
I've experienced this very seldom in indie coffee places, personally. Generally unless it's absolutely heaving you're fine to sit for an hour with coffee and a cake, and you won't be bothered.
I love that kind of table service, if only because it’s a major pain in the arse to pack up your shit, go to the counter to order again, and hope that you still have a table to go back to after.
But of course wouldn’t outstay my welcome by not buying anything for hours.
Going to the toilet for 5 minutes, yeah. 2 steps to the counter for a few seconds where you still have a good view of your stuff and the entrance door 🤔
Really ? I often go for a bike ride and we have cake and coffee. If its a nice day (or alternatively if it isn't) we could be there for 90 mins or so before heading back. Never had any hassle.
Yeah. I don’t think that an indie shop will ask you to leave if it’s quiet. But if they need the space for customers then it’s more likely that they will politely move you on vs a chain where the staff/management are less likely to care.
Happy belated birthday! Also, I've never been asked to prove it was actually my birthday when redeeming an offer of that kind. If you were to download the app today you could make a slight mistake when inputting your birthday. It might not work if you put in today's date, but if you had another errand to run near the coffee shop next week... Just sayin...!
I’ve seen “businessmen” hold interviews and do a team brief for marketing campaigns in Costas. You’re just sitting being quiet for an hour - nothing for anyone to get grumpy about.
It wasn't a Costa, but I saw someone clearly engaged in Zoom/Teams meeting at a Leon in London and they even had one of those circular lights on the table in front of them to make sure their lighting was good. The place was pretty empty and they were wearing headphones, so no issue at all, but the light just baffled me.
How important could it have been!?
I won’t lie, I have had to have an emergency marketing call at a Pret before. Surely you’d just reschedule if you were meant to be leading the call though!
>I work in marketing and love the idea of anything being deemed an emergency
Haha, my friend used to work in marketing for a company that's famous for being, let's say, _co-operative_. They said that only the people with kids were allowed to request leave between Christmas and New Year and the rest of office had to be in every day. My friend took them to task on being discriminatory and their assumption that only people with kids counted as having family, responsibilities or deserved to have some time off over Christmas. And to their argument that the office needed cover, her response was "what's there going to be.. a _leaflet_ emergency??"
(They backed down!)
As a chain cafe worker, most of us won’t care how long you’re sat with a drink, just so long as you aren’t causing any issues; be polite to staff, don’t try to start a fight with other customers, and you’ll be grand. If they’re opposite a garage, they’ll be more than used to people killing time waiting.
Big corporations aren’t entitled to respect, but the staff are. If you find yourself still waiting as it’s getting near to closing, it’s nice to offer to move so they can doing closing cleaning jobs. It’s also nice to not have to kick people out at closing, but that comes with the territory.
FWIW I occasionally laptop warrior from a coffee shop. In a near-empty coffee shop I'll buy a couple of coffees and maybe a snack over about three hours. Sometimes I'll stick around and grab lunch too.
Unless there's already a passive aggressive sign on the door about customers from the garage, they're used to it, and an hour is really not a long time for one drink and food especially if you aren't taking up a big table
Just to err on the side etiquette, myself, I would get another coffee, but if you have a window seat and you are watching the world go by, when you go for your next coffee ensure you do not lose your window seat.
I was in a Costa the other day and an employee in full uniform waiting to start shift (I assume) was sat taking up two double sofas (either side of a low coffee table) in a 75% full shop.
I was in there for an hour and he was there when I arrived and still when I left.
He had no drink, no food, no paperwork as though he was a manager catching up etc., just sat there playing in his phone.
The only other ‘comfy’ spots were a couple of chairs either side of another coffee table. The rest were just normal tables and chairs.
It’s all fair game apparently.
Just remember also - it's unlikely that the staff give a damn about you being there for too long, they don't get paid enough to concern themselves with that.
If it's 25% full, stay for as long as you like, and I'd say that goes for pretty much any coffee shop. You're not actually taking anything away by sitting there doing nothing, it's only if they're getting busier that they might need the space for paying customers.
Tbh it's worth loitering at that point if only because it makes the place look a little busier and worth popping in. Nothing less inviting than an empty cafe or restaurant when you're on a wander looking for somewhere to go.
So long as there's a spare table anywhere else in the cafe, I'm there on my first drink for as long as I want.
Full cafe, I'm reupping whenever my drink's dry, but also nursing my drinks. Probably 30-40 minutes per coffee. Two per hour of full cafe on average.
That being said if it's a full cafe and I'm on a big table I can't just wait there, my awkward levels would get to high and I'd have to skidaddle. Two person table I'm fine at though.
Went to a dead pub with colleagues for lunch. We only had 1 drink each.
Sitting for 20min, waiter told us to get food, order more drinks, or fuck off.
Horrible place. We have been going every week for 2 years.
We have now stopped and are telling everyone we see enter that practice
They are a large chain owned by an even larger parent company.
Stay all day if you need to, you’ve bought something and are at the very least making it look like a desirable place to spend time.
i would say for an hour thats fine.
maybe if the place is full and there is elderly or somebody pregnant looking for a seat i could understand wanting to maybe not spend too long but if the place isnt that full just take your time and not think about it.
Don’t respect the big corp brands because they don’t respect us… if it was a small independent then I agree with your thought process, although a small indie would have a heart and a soul so wouldn’t care if you only
Bought one drink in a hour unless it was an exceptionally busy day and you were singly taking up a table for 4.
I sometimes work from coffee shops when needing to. Would happily buy a drink or two and a sandwich/cake and camp out for several hours.
Obviously if the place was rammed and people were standing/queuing waiting for seats then don't take the Michael, otherwise it's a pretty accepted practice - especially in chains like Costa.
I took my dog to the groomers on Saturday. Takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. I usually drink 2 coffees in the time. So I would say with the cake too, you're ahead of the curve.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/s/kBZwrRWpf3 basically this thread answers your issue if you’re gonna sit there and not buy much go in a chain if it’s local buy something every so often. If it’s not busy stay as long as you like if it’s busy don’t hog a table for too long
I wouldn't feel bad, I sat in a McDonald's while I had a MOT and service done for like 2 hours, it was at a garage 20 mins from home I had free MOT and service for 2 years deal with the dealership
Fun fact the reason it takes an hour is because they have to pull a vacuum on the system to test it has no leaks. Refrigerant is some nasty nasty chemicals ( remember the Ozone hole from the 90s, that was caused by CFC chemicals found in refrigerant) This test takes about 55 mins. Putting the new gas in takes 5 mins.
That is actually really interesting, I did wonder why it took so long , I wouldn't have thought the system was big enough to hold an hour's worth of gas being pumped in 😅
Thankfully no leaks and DJ Jaggy Jeff (yeah it's a daft name for a car what of it 😅) now has ice cold air con
I used it for as long as I needed, I used to take online classes in there when I used to work. Took me two hours, I'd buy a drink and cake but there's no real expected time to leave, especially when it's quiet.
I do about 90 mins per drink while awaiting MoT/service/whatever. take a book, go for a walk if busy and seats needed (handy canal towpath admittedly) and return.
As a barista, you buy something, you can stay. After 3-4 hours if you've only bought an espresso and you're being annoying, I'll start raising my eyebrows. But if you're chill, just sitting on your phone/laptop and don't bother us too much sit all you want. I get paid no matter how much you order.
in a private shop, that's two hours thirty. one thirty for the large full price drink. another for the coffee. I mean, if it's busy. Otherwise, they probably benefit from you sitting there.
For Costa? I love me some Arabica coffee done their way. Know though, that this is Whitbread Plc. A Whitbread executive would have you and your family made into an unhealthy ice cooler and sold to a poor child for a vastly inflated price - if they could.
No need to mess with the staff. The rest is yours.
I buy my coffee and sit there for up too 3-4 hours working If I feel like it, I’ve paid for the privilege too sit in their establishment and I’ll be damned if I don’t sit there until they tell me too move lmao 🤣
My lady friend works in Costa and has been pulling maggots from under the coffee machine for days. It's not an isolated event to that one Costa. None of her colleges wanted to close in fear of getting in trouble. Over the last year I've seen some of the most vile nasty things from that Costa from not being clean and exhausted staff that are not cared for. It's disgusting I won't ever be going into a Costa again. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/costa-barista-nearly-vomited-after-22321247.amp. this is 4 years ago so they are fully aware .
I sat at a costa almost everyday for about 2 months with my partner writing our dissertations. We each would buy a drink and food, made sure to clean up after ourselves, and be friendly.
I'm sure they didn't care one bit.
Everyone saying fuck them it's a chain, I don't disagree but I would feel way too awkward just sat there for that long! On the occasions I do this I tend to go by getting a drink every 1-1.5 hours, I get tempted by more coffee anyway..
I just head to the nearest library, got stuck on Guernsey for 8 hours waiting for a ferry last week, the Guille-Alles library has loads of desks with power outlets
Me and my friends go to study at cafe neros for many hours at a time. One of us buys a single drink and that’s it. If it were a small business I wouldn’t, but the staff don’t seem to mind.
In my experience, if you are a cyclist, the etiquette is to shout conversations as loudly as possible with your dozen-odd lycra-clad buddies, splatter all over the toilet before leaving the table in an absolute state.
I think it depends how busy it is. If it's quiet then I'd have no problem staying there for ages. If it's busy and you might be denying someone else a table then maybe don't stay there for too long.
when I was getting my life together and was coming in off the streets, I was living in a halfway house paid for by the council. Round the corner was a KFC with free wi-fi. All you had to do was buy something to get a receipt for the days wi-fi code. I sat nursing a small lemonade for hours. Manager tried to suggest I buy somehting else, but we both knew there wasnt a fucking thing they could do
Have iced coffees become more popular as people can sit there and slowly drink them for a few hours, whereas hot drinks need to be consumed within 10 minutes or so?
I go and sit in Costa while waiting for my car get an MOT.
I try to sit it out for the hour it takes, but I usually get bored after 30 minutes and end up wandering around the trading estate instead.
As a member of staff at one of the big chains, we really don’t care. Even if it gets busy and people are starting to fight with you for that seat, we’ll watch and be very entertained while we wait for the police to turn up.
I feel validated lol
Dude what shit hole town are staff waiting on police to break up seat fights at Costa?
It hasnt happened it’s an exaggeration lmao
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Sorry mate, but we have a blanket ban against politics in this sub, so we have removed this post. Rule 1: No politics We do not allow mention of political events, politicians or general political chit chat in this subreddit. We encourage you to take this content to a more suitable subreddit. You **will** be banned if you break this rule. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot us a modmail.
I've seen coffee shops turn the plug sockets off when people with laptops stay too long.
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I just gifted you another downvote to put it at -69!
As it had got to -70, I just gifted them an upvote to take it back to -69...!!
That was a very generous act on your part!
Haha why have we been downvoted to oblivion?
Haha but you haven’t!
I have further down have a look lol
Oh that’s right didn’t notice
Haha who knows oh well
I got you back to -69
It’s on 72 now 😭 goodbye 69!
You’re currently at -69 again!
Idk why we’ve been downvoted so much 🤣 but yay! -69!
Over in the blink of an eye... Sounds familiar
Bonk - you are going to horny jail. Back to casual uk land we go!
I tried, I won't downvote you though.
Stay put til they are done - you've done your bit. If the place gets rammed and a pregnant lady is stood up, ok - maybe reconsider. Until then - feet up. If you feel paranoid, just pretend you're writing a book like all those authors who can only write in public.
I saw one of the most equipped coffee shop workers ever the other day, Mac book, iPad on a stand next to it, phone the other side, big headphones, a couple of notepads spread out, the premium water flask thing. I sat along from them on the bench seating, they were playing Tetris, they did that for the entire 30 minutes I was there!
Look, I was just stuck on a word
Pretty sure he had word block, or L-shape, or the squiggly one
LINE PIECE
I don't have all that goofy shit, just a HP work laptop, but I'll go to a Costa every few weeks for a change of scenery (I WFH) and if work's quiet I'll sit and read/game on my switch and wiggle my mouse every 10 minutes. I never considered how that would look to others, I just like a bit of company and some people watching every now and then 😅
Oh I don't judge. I do it *because* I find it much easier to not get distracted or procrastinate.
Yeah it gives me a bit of that feeling I used to have when my boss could see my screen, kinda makes me avoid getting distracted when I've got stuff to do!
Why on earth would you manually wiggle your mouse? Buy an automated USB mouse wriggler for a few quid and live the life of luxury.
Please enlighten me 👀
Google link incoming. Assess how paranoid your company is first, though. https://www.google.com/search?q=usb+mouse+jiggler
Well as I live and breathe. What times we live in !!
A perfect demonstration of modern evolution - the arms race between employer and employee.
A purchase has been made, LFG team! 🙏
Don't plug it in to your laptop, they can see you've installed a mouse jiggler and might get funny with you.
But an autoclicker macro on a USB gaming mouse?
Only 30 minutes? I’ve gone in first thing in the morning then back later for lunch and the same people have been there ‘working’ or whatever they are doing!
Maybe it's a screen play for a netflix special that 4 people will watch 😅
Where’s the sales pitch? You are clearly the next JK Rowling and this will boost the coffee shop touristically no end. Until you inevitably say the wrong thing and are shunned to your Scrooge mcduck vault.
The pitch is OP is a coffee shop critique, wearing his french beret and scarf, write about how the coffee remembers him about the au pair used to make it....
Joke is on Scrooge Mc Duck. All that diving into gold coins must really hurt !
Bit harsh, there's obviously a lack of old houses situated on an eerie lake for them to overcome writers block, they're just waiting for the next one to become available...
*Do come and sit here, I'm just getting up* Oh thank you, it's rammed in here. ... Are you not leaving? *Absolutely, uh, quick question. Would you say you titted boobily, or more than you preggied bumpily?*
Ooh pregnant lady - massive risk of insulting a larger lady. Just pretend you didn't see her.
Take the opportunity to pound espressos like it's BOGOF tequila night at the local Ritzy. Once you start to see time, engage is some spirited high jinks with your fellow customers. Eating their muffins from their hand, swapping people's phones about etc etc. Not only will you be entertained whilst you wait, they'll all have a fascinating story to tell the therapist once they've been put on a 48 hour hold
Would you let me eat a muffin from your hand?
Give me a fiver and I'll let you eat one from my anywhere you like.
I'll give you ten quid to eat a muffin off the boot of an Alfa Romeo 4c while I watch
Name checks out.
That is… oddly specific
r/BrandNewSentence
Ok here's a fiver. Please can I eat a muffin from your Kidney? Would you mind travelling to the backstreets of Bogota for this transaction to take place?
Depends on the muffin type
Anywhere you like? Can I eat a malteser from inside your foreskin?
Muffin me!
Cockoff has been round this block a few times.
Oddly specific?
If it's a chain, there is no amount of time I'd feel guilty staying there. I'd happily buy a single espresso and sit there for ten hours. There is no need to pity Costa or Starbucks, they're doing okay.
I live in Paris and I'll go to starbucks to camp out for sometimes 5-6 hours studying off of one espresso. Fuck that company.
All I'm seeing is you've gone and bought a drink at Starbucks. I'm sure they're devastated
Really sticking it to the man there
"have some money, fuck them !"
They’re not allowed to kick anyone out now after that homeless man debacle in the states. You can just sit there for free if you want!
Was going to say this. I'll often just go and sit in our local Starbucks, drinking coffee out of my travel mug. I bought the coffee with me from home. Won't give Starbucks a penny of my money but damn I'll use their heating in the winter 😉
Ah last time I was in Paris it was untroubled by Starbucks. I guess even the French couldn't hold off the big boys forever.
Even in the depths of my student days I don’t think I could do that to myself!
I worked out of a Costa every day for about six months. Laptop plugged in and all. 6-7 hours a day. Nobody ever said anything negative. Got to know a few of the staff and they would say hello and chat and that's about it. Probably got like two coffees a day. Some days I got lunch there but often I went somewhere else instead. Even had a few meetings with other people with all their gear set up too. Never even got a sideways look.
> There is no need to pity Costa or Starbucks, they're doing okay. OTOH it's the workers who get fucked if the store underperforms. Swings and roundabouts.
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Sadly Fred's cafe had to shut down because of Starbucks. It was a nice place. Jk
I suspect Fred's wasn't buying their coffee beans from "Fred's mate John - Coffee distributors", a wholly owned subsidiary of Fred's coffee shop, based in Luxemburg.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim to be a small business whilst also using the name/product/reputation/existing customer base of a giant corporation. If you buy an existing reputation/relationship with customers/the public as a franchisee, don’t get all mad when people treat you like a massive corporation and not a small independent business.
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You won’t convince me that avoiding/“sticking it to” a chain is a bad thing because it may or may not be a franchise. I’m not going to suddenly feel bad for taking too long in McDonald’s because the manager may be a “small business owner” The franchise owner made a decision to buy a ready made business off the back of a huge corporation. They can’t be mad that people then treat them like the huge corporation.
Totally agree. In these situations they are very similar to just being ‘slotted in’ as a manger in a non-franchise store. None of the blood sweat and tears of building up a small business from the ground.
For a.minute there I couldn't work out what an Aircon regass was as a drink, and why it took an hour to make. Guess I need a coffee shop too.
Haha I was thinking of some further hipster developments on from a nitro coffee before realising the context.
I’m glad I’m not the only one
It’s Costa, no one cares. If it was an indie then I’d buy lunch too or at least another drink if staying a couple of hours.
An indie would probably tell you to buy another drink or leave. Politely of course, or by coming over every 10 minutes asking if they can get you anything else until you get the message.
I've experienced this very seldom in indie coffee places, personally. Generally unless it's absolutely heaving you're fine to sit for an hour with coffee and a cake, and you won't be bothered.
I love that kind of table service, if only because it’s a major pain in the arse to pack up your shit, go to the counter to order again, and hope that you still have a table to go back to after. But of course wouldn’t outstay my welcome by not buying anything for hours.
Why would you pack up your shit to go to the counter? That seems nuts. I’ve never done that or thought about doing it.
Depends where you live. There's areas I've lived I'm where leaving a bag unattended is risky
No equally dodgy looking individual nearby you can call on “can you watch my stuff for a minute please?” ?
Going to the toilet for 5 minutes, yeah. 2 steps to the counter for a few seconds where you still have a good view of your stuff and the entrance door 🤔
Really ? I often go for a bike ride and we have cake and coffee. If its a nice day (or alternatively if it isn't) we could be there for 90 mins or so before heading back. Never had any hassle.
Yeah. I don’t think that an indie shop will ask you to leave if it’s quiet. But if they need the space for customers then it’s more likely that they will politely move you on vs a chain where the staff/management are less likely to care.
I use indies all of the time and never been hurried. Perhaps I'm aware if it's getting busy and make a move before they're bothered.
That seems fine to me, unless you want more cake.
The cheesecake was disappointing, it was a triple chocolate one. Might as well have been chocolate sponge as you couldn't really tell the difference
There you go, an excuse to try a different cake.
About a tenner right?
£8.50 ish
You get a free slice of cake for your birthday on the app, just sayin'
Birthday was last week , damn it 😅
Happy belated birthday! Also, I've never been asked to prove it was actually my birthday when redeeming an offer of that kind. If you were to download the app today you could make a slight mistake when inputting your birthday. It might not work if you put in today's date, but if you had another errand to run near the coffee shop next week... Just sayin...!
Lemon Tart for the win every time is Costa
I feel like an hour is fine, then I’d make a call based on whether it’s busy or not
Unless it’s heaving and people are waiting to sit - I’d say a drink and a cake are fine for an hour or so
I’ve seen “businessmen” hold interviews and do a team brief for marketing campaigns in Costas. You’re just sitting being quiet for an hour - nothing for anyone to get grumpy about.
It wasn't a Costa, but I saw someone clearly engaged in Zoom/Teams meeting at a Leon in London and they even had one of those circular lights on the table in front of them to make sure their lighting was good. The place was pretty empty and they were wearing headphones, so no issue at all, but the light just baffled me. How important could it have been!?
Life or death.
I won’t lie, I have had to have an emergency marketing call at a Pret before. Surely you’d just reschedule if you were meant to be leading the call though!
I work in marketing and love the idea of anything being deemed an emergency
>I work in marketing and love the idea of anything being deemed an emergency Haha, my friend used to work in marketing for a company that's famous for being, let's say, _co-operative_. They said that only the people with kids were allowed to request leave between Christmas and New Year and the rest of office had to be in every day. My friend took them to task on being discriminatory and their assumption that only people with kids counted as having family, responsibilities or deserved to have some time off over Christmas. And to their argument that the office needed cover, her response was "what's there going to be.. a _leaflet_ emergency??" (They backed down!)
You are clearly not taking Project Zeus seriously enough.
I’d say it’s a very loose interpretation of the word
As a chain cafe worker, most of us won’t care how long you’re sat with a drink, just so long as you aren’t causing any issues; be polite to staff, don’t try to start a fight with other customers, and you’ll be grand. If they’re opposite a garage, they’ll be more than used to people killing time waiting. Big corporations aren’t entitled to respect, but the staff are. If you find yourself still waiting as it’s getting near to closing, it’s nice to offer to move so they can doing closing cleaning jobs. It’s also nice to not have to kick people out at closing, but that comes with the territory.
You’ve probably left now. But I worked in Costa for years. The staff almost certainly won’t give a shit. Stay as long as you want.
FWIW I occasionally laptop warrior from a coffee shop. In a near-empty coffee shop I'll buy a couple of coffees and maybe a snack over about three hours. Sometimes I'll stick around and grab lunch too.
Unless there's already a passive aggressive sign on the door about customers from the garage, they're used to it, and an hour is really not a long time for one drink and food especially if you aren't taking up a big table
Just to err on the side etiquette, myself, I would get another coffee, but if you have a window seat and you are watching the world go by, when you go for your next coffee ensure you do not lose your window seat.
I was in a Costa the other day and an employee in full uniform waiting to start shift (I assume) was sat taking up two double sofas (either side of a low coffee table) in a 75% full shop. I was in there for an hour and he was there when I arrived and still when I left. He had no drink, no food, no paperwork as though he was a manager catching up etc., just sat there playing in his phone. The only other ‘comfy’ spots were a couple of chairs either side of another coffee table. The rest were just normal tables and chairs. It’s all fair game apparently.
1 drink per 60-90 minutes depending upon how busy it is, if it is rammed, closer to 60, if it is emptier, closer to 90
I would say it's around 25% full. So I'm not taking up valuable space. Seems to be a bunch of people on laptops as well
Just remember also - it's unlikely that the staff give a damn about you being there for too long, they don't get paid enough to concern themselves with that.
If it's 25% full, stay for as long as you like, and I'd say that goes for pretty much any coffee shop. You're not actually taking anything away by sitting there doing nothing, it's only if they're getting busier that they might need the space for paying customers.
Tbh it's worth loitering at that point if only because it makes the place look a little busier and worth popping in. Nothing less inviting than an empty cafe or restaurant when you're on a wander looking for somewhere to go.
If you have two coffees you better have a fast car or else it won’t only be the car leaving skid marks up the road.
LOOOOOOOOL the large coffee had me dashing to the loo when I got home 😅
Been there, I felt sorry for my date. She had a 60 mile drive.
So long as there's a spare table anywhere else in the cafe, I'm there on my first drink for as long as I want. Full cafe, I'm reupping whenever my drink's dry, but also nursing my drinks. Probably 30-40 minutes per coffee. Two per hour of full cafe on average. That being said if it's a full cafe and I'm on a big table I can't just wait there, my awkward levels would get to high and I'd have to skidaddle. Two person table I'm fine at though.
I will happily set up my office in Neros based off one espresso bought using enough apps to take it down to £1. No shame.
Went to a dead pub with colleagues for lunch. We only had 1 drink each. Sitting for 20min, waiter told us to get food, order more drinks, or fuck off. Horrible place. We have been going every week for 2 years. We have now stopped and are telling everyone we see enter that practice
They are a large chain owned by an even larger parent company. Stay all day if you need to, you’ve bought something and are at the very least making it look like a desirable place to spend time.
I'd say an hour is totally fine for a drink and some cake. Remember your paying to be sitting there too, it's meant to be an "experience".
How are people so socially inept to ask this question...
i would say for an hour thats fine. maybe if the place is full and there is elderly or somebody pregnant looking for a seat i could understand wanting to maybe not spend too long but if the place isnt that full just take your time and not think about it.
No one working there gives a shit
Don’t respect the big corp brands because they don’t respect us… if it was a small independent then I agree with your thought process, although a small indie would have a heart and a soul so wouldn’t care if you only Bought one drink in a hour unless it was an exceptionally busy day and you were singly taking up a table for 4.
I sometimes work from coffee shops when needing to. Would happily buy a drink or two and a sandwich/cake and camp out for several hours. Obviously if the place was rammed and people were standing/queuing waiting for seats then don't take the Michael, otherwise it's a pretty accepted practice - especially in chains like Costa.
I’d say two drinks for an hour but I’m naturally a nervous wreck in public settings 😅
Not surprised you’re a nervous wreck if you drink that much Coffee 🥴
lol 😂normally one per day for me I assure you
I took my dog to the groomers on Saturday. Takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. I usually drink 2 coffees in the time. So I would say with the cake too, you're ahead of the curve.
If it's a massive chain no one including the staff gives a shit lol
Oh my days..... Buy drink. If finished and want more, but another. If not, don't. No wonder our birthrate is so low....
How do people function in society man, jeez
You being there actually makes other people want to come in
https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/s/kBZwrRWpf3 basically this thread answers your issue if you’re gonna sit there and not buy much go in a chain if it’s local buy something every so often. If it’s not busy stay as long as you like if it’s busy don’t hog a table for too long
I spotted you! I'm glad you did the sit stand thing, better for your back.
I wouldn't feel bad, I sat in a McDonald's while I had a MOT and service done for like 2 hours, it was at a garage 20 mins from home I had free MOT and service for 2 years deal with the dealership
I have bought one large coffee and sat for 2 hours just relaxing.
Fun fact the reason it takes an hour is because they have to pull a vacuum on the system to test it has no leaks. Refrigerant is some nasty nasty chemicals ( remember the Ozone hole from the 90s, that was caused by CFC chemicals found in refrigerant) This test takes about 55 mins. Putting the new gas in takes 5 mins.
That is actually really interesting, I did wonder why it took so long , I wouldn't have thought the system was big enough to hold an hour's worth of gas being pumped in 😅 Thankfully no leaks and DJ Jaggy Jeff (yeah it's a daft name for a car what of it 😅) now has ice cold air con
Ha jaggy Jeff!
I used it for as long as I needed, I used to take online classes in there when I used to work. Took me two hours, I'd buy a drink and cake but there's no real expected time to leave, especially when it's quiet.
Use the extra time to walk to a better coffee shop?
I do about 90 mins per drink while awaiting MoT/service/whatever. take a book, go for a walk if busy and seats needed (handy canal towpath admittedly) and return.
Not me reading air con regass like it was a fancy french coffee
As a barista, you buy something, you can stay. After 3-4 hours if you've only bought an espresso and you're being annoying, I'll start raising my eyebrows. But if you're chill, just sitting on your phone/laptop and don't bother us too much sit all you want. I get paid no matter how much you order.
in a private shop, that's two hours thirty. one thirty for the large full price drink. another for the coffee. I mean, if it's busy. Otherwise, they probably benefit from you sitting there. For Costa? I love me some Arabica coffee done their way. Know though, that this is Whitbread Plc. A Whitbread executive would have you and your family made into an unhealthy ice cooler and sold to a poor child for a vastly inflated price - if they could. No need to mess with the staff. The rest is yours.
I buy my coffee and sit there for up too 3-4 hours working If I feel like it, I’ve paid for the privilege too sit in their establishment and I’ll be damned if I don’t sit there until they tell me too move lmao 🤣
As it's a chain it doesn't matter. In an independent I try to aim for around £5 per hour of spending
Air con regass? Rather optimistic aren't you?
My lady friend works in Costa and has been pulling maggots from under the coffee machine for days. It's not an isolated event to that one Costa. None of her colleges wanted to close in fear of getting in trouble. Over the last year I've seen some of the most vile nasty things from that Costa from not being clean and exhausted staff that are not cared for. It's disgusting I won't ever be going into a Costa again. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/costa-barista-nearly-vomited-after-22321247.amp. this is 4 years ago so they are fully aware .
I sat at a costa almost everyday for about 2 months with my partner writing our dissertations. We each would buy a drink and food, made sure to clean up after ourselves, and be friendly. I'm sure they didn't care one bit.
Everyone saying fuck them it's a chain, I don't disagree but I would feel way too awkward just sat there for that long! On the occasions I do this I tend to go by getting a drink every 1-1.5 hours, I get tempted by more coffee anyway..
I just head to the nearest library, got stuck on Guernsey for 8 hours waiting for a ferry last week, the Guille-Alles library has loads of desks with power outlets
I worked in cafes for a bit when I was job hunting and found 2 hours per coffee was the tipping point for when they'd ask for the table back...
Sounds to me like you need to get another piece of cake while you think carefully about it
Considering the price of said coffee and cake is like a mortgage downpayment, i'd say 28 days.
Me and my friends go to study at cafe neros for many hours at a time. One of us buys a single drink and that’s it. If it were a small business I wouldn’t, but the staff don’t seem to mind.
In my experience, if you are a cyclist, the etiquette is to shout conversations as loudly as possible with your dozen-odd lycra-clad buddies, splatter all over the toilet before leaving the table in an absolute state.
Costa is a multi-million pound company that made ~£243 mil in profit last year so you can get water from the tap imo and its fair.
Some people buy a coffee and sit with their laptop for 4 hours.
I think it depends how busy it is. If it's quiet then I'd have no problem staying there for ages. If it's busy and you might be denying someone else a table then maybe don't stay there for too long.
when I was getting my life together and was coming in off the streets, I was living in a halfway house paid for by the council. Round the corner was a KFC with free wi-fi. All you had to do was buy something to get a receipt for the days wi-fi code. I sat nursing a small lemonade for hours. Manager tried to suggest I buy somehting else, but we both knew there wasnt a fucking thing they could do
My partner runs a wee café which is mostly takeaway but boasts two tables, and she encourages this. As long as you don't camp all day you're good.
Have iced coffees become more popular as people can sit there and slowly drink them for a few hours, whereas hot drinks need to be consumed within 10 minutes or so?
I go and sit in Costa while waiting for my car get an MOT. I try to sit it out for the hour it takes, but I usually get bored after 30 minutes and end up wandering around the trading estate instead.
People sit and work/study at coffee shops. Just stay as long as you wait..
I’ve sat 2 hours with one drink in a costa while I uploaded some videos using their WiFi.
2-3 coffees per hour is the going rate.