Walk past your average coffee shop and you’re likely to find a number of people working away. The rise of the freelance, or gig, economy has meant the coffee shop is increasingly seen as the workplace of choice. A recent study highlights the impact of this, not only on the workers themselves, but also on the cafes.
The researchers monitored people who work in coffee shops across Norway, England, Australia and the US over several years. The paper describes how certain cafes have modified their designs to become more inviting as a place to work. For instance, power sockets are absolutely crucial, and in many instances more important than the coffee itself.
Working or loafing
The researchers also examined the workers themselves, and especially the kind of work performed. Through interviews with coffee shop workers, the social aspect of cafe life was a constant theme, with many workers revealing that such random interactions helped their creativity levels.
The hubub of the cafe creates a level of background noise that makes them feel equal parts working on their own, whilst also part of something.
The cafe provides a welcoming, yet flexible environment, so whether people are regulars or merely transient visitors, the cafe offers up a friendly and social alternative to working at home alone that doesn’t require the commitment of a co-working space.
Profitable business
What about from the perspective of the coffee shop owners themselves? Surely it can’t be good for their bottom line to have people spending all day ‘blocking’ a table in return for a few cups of coffee?
Well, maybe it is. When the researchers spoke to a number of cafe owners and staff, none had a negative word to say about such professional inhabitants.
They found there was an unwritten contract or understanding between worker and cafe, with most people doing the right thing and not taking liberties by sipping one coffee all day. Instead, they would ensure a constant flow of java, and maybe buy lunch there. Maybe they would split their time between a number of cafes, with their coffee spend thus spread around.
What’s more, these professional customers also attract other customers. The cafe is a fundamentally social experience, so people are attracted to what appears a thriving scene. After all, it’s rare for anyone to go to a cafe for solitude. The authors suggest that the rise in numbers of people working in cafes contributes to the growing popularity of cafes in general.
“An important aspect is that working customers are also changing cafe culture. The eating-out sector is really growing in downtown Trondheim,” the authors say.
