Thirsty Work: The coffee shop as office Coffee shops are the unofficial offices of an army of modern

workers thanks to free wi-fi and caffeine on tap.

1. The bond between coffee and work is strong. For a long time, it has been the traditional drink for
employees in offices. Workers who drink coffee have alert brains and are ready to deal with the tasks of
the day.

2. The first company to allow employees a coffee break was the American chair manufacturer
Barcalounger, in 1902. Since that time, coffee has become an important part of the working day. The
drink is so important that in the past, workers even threatened to strike when bosses tried to stop their
coffee breaks (as happened at Chrysler in 1964).

3. Today there are around 10,000 coffee shops in the UK in a market worth about 5 billion pounds, and
the number of them is growing. People do work in coffee shops, attracted by the free wi-fi that many
now offer. Since the start of the recession, they have become a safe place for the self-employed.

4. Freelance writer Louisa Gregson says: "Working from home has many advantages but it can be an
alienating experience. Although you can avoid office politics, you lose the daily interaction of working
with others." Laptops and coffees have combined rather well, it seems. Although a noisy coffee shop
may appear to be a distraction and suitable only for those who want a change of scenery for a few
hours, they can make people work harder. "There is some feeling that you are on public show. You have
made a trip to the coffee shop in order to work so you feel that it is your duty to focus," says academic
and writer Cathy Hume. "You can be unexpectedly more focused than at home."

5. Instead of discouraging people from using their tables for long periods of the day, some coffee shops
invite this behaviour. Costa Coffee in the UK offers free wifi in branches where it feels people will want
to work. The company believes the coffee shop environment is more formal and professional than using
a home office. "There are no strict rules to working in a Costa, although we appreciate it if customers
buy products from our stores while using our facilities," says Kevin Hydes, head of UK marketing.

6. Starbucks responded to falling sales a few years ago by redesigning some of its shops to better cater
for business users. At its Conduit Street branch in London, customers frequently hold meetings,
interviews and business lunches. During the week, the downstairs area of the branch is usually a sea of
laptops.

7. "We’ve seen a big increase in the number of people using the internet in our stores, to research and
write books and start their own businesses," says Brian Waring, Starbucks’ vice-president of marketing
and category.

8. Recently, however, some American cafes have started to complain. The trend of working and holding
business meetings in coffee shops emerged in the late 1990s in the US. Americans have got used to
turning up at a cafe, ordering a coffee and opening up their laptops. Squeezed by the recession and
noticing that some customers were buying a single coffee and then using up space and power, more and
more independent cafes have begun to rethink their strategy.

9. "I’ve heard all the negatives: freeloaders, rent-free office space, free internet, customers sitting for
hours with one cup of coffee and so on. These things are true, but are they necessarily negative?" asks
Janice Pullicino, owner of Naidre’s Cafe, in Brooklyn. 10. Getting the right working environment is not
easy. "Coffee shops can be good places for meetings, but only if there’s the right level of noise – too
noisy and it’s unprofessional, too quiet and you feel very conspicuous," says Judy Heminsley, who runs
the website workfromhomewisdom.com. Adapted from The Independent, by David Crookes, 30 May
2011

1. How does coffee benefit workers? Workers who drink coffee have alert brains and are ready to deal
with the tasks of the day.

2. What happened when Chrysler bosses tried to stop their employees’ coffee breaks? Workers even
threatened to strike when bosses tried to stop their coffee breaks

3. Why are people, especially the self-employed, attracted to coffee shops to work? attracted by the free
wi-fi that many now offer. Since the start of the recession, they have become a safe place for the self-
employed

4. What are the benefits of working in a coffee shop compared with working in an office? There is some
feeling that you are on public show. You have made a trip to the coffee shop in order to work so you feel
that it is your duty to focus. You can be unexpectedly more focused than at home

5. What are the drawbacks of working in a coffee shop compared with working in an office? There are
no strict rules to working in a Costa, although we appreciate it if customers buy products from our stores
while using our facilities

6. How can coffee shops make you work harder than at home? At its Conduit Street branch in London,
customers frequently hold meetings, interviews and business lunches

7. How did Starbucks respond to falling sales? We’ve seen a big increase in the number of people using
the internet in our stores, to research and write books and start their own businesses

8. Why do some companies complain about customers using their coffee shops for work? Squeezed by
the recession and noticing that some customers were buying a single coffee and then using up space and
power

9. Why is too much or too little noise a problem? heard all the negatives: freeloaders, rent-free office
space, free internet, customers sitting for hours with one cup of coffee and so on. These things are true,
but are they necessarily negative