For years, Many coffee shops in Spain have ended up becoming the perfect shelter for those who telework. The fact of being able to enjoy coffee, while working with the laptop, added to the possibility of changing the stage regarding the fact of being in the office or at home, attracted thousands of people. However, something is changing. What seemed an ideal coexistence between coffee growers and digital workers, today is generating tensions that directly affect customer experience.
More and more establishments have begun to hang posters with a clear warning: The use of laptops is not allowed. This new standard has caught many regular users by surprise, who have seen how their access to a space that they also considered their own is restricted. The measure has generated a wave of criticism in social networks, with messages that range from indignation to resignation, through the understanding of some clients who also see with suspicion how the tables of screens are filled for hours.
The root of the problem is not something trivial. The proliferation of teleworking after the pandemic converted many coffee shops into improvised officesbut this has brought consequences that business owners can no longer ignore: less customer rotation, minimum consumption by those who are installed with their laptop throughout the morning (also taking advantage of the Wi -Fi of the establishment for hours), and an environment that in some cases has ceased to be cozy for those who only want to have coffee in peace. And so, what seemed like a solution for all, has become a point of conflict that forces unpopular decisions.
Why is the use of laptop in coffee shops prohibited?
The decision to prohibit the use of laptops in coffee shops does not arise from nothing. The owners of many of these premises have observed a worrying trend: Tables occupied for hours with a single coffee, With hardly any client rotation and, in some cases, with an environment more similar to that of a study room than to that of a social and dynamic place. Although it may seem a drastic measure, for many managers it represents the only way to protect the essence of their business and, above all, its profitability.
This measure is not intended to be a personal attack on teleworkors, but a way to balance the dynamics of the premises. The essence of a cafeteria has always been to relax or have a conversation between friends or with the family while enjoying a good coffee. And although the laptop fit that equation for a while, now threatens to blur that identity. Some places have decided to act before their spaces completely lose their personality, and his more traditional clientele feels displaced.
Can there be an intermediate solution?
Not all bars have opted for a resounding to the laptop. In fact, a part of the sector is trying to find formulas that allow both worlds to live without one with the other. One of the most common solutions is being delimit concrete spaces for those who work with the computer, or establish specific schedules for use. In this way, both the client who wants a quiet work is respected, and to which he looks for a fast coffee or a conversation with friends without screens.
Other establishments opt for Reserve areas without plug or posters where it is kindly indicated that the use of devices is not allowed electronic during certain hours of the day. These decisions are made based on the experience of each business: there are places that work better as work spaces in the morning, and others that cannot afford to lose tables throughout the day.
Apart from the options that are being raised and applied, it is worth asking if it is legal that they do not let us enter a cafeteria, if we do it with the intention of working with our laptop. The key is to be clear that the right of admission comes into play, so that we must be aware that the Law covers the owners of these businesses through that right of admissionprovided that the rules that are imposed are objective, non -discriminatory and are clearly indicated in the premises. That is, a very visible poster that reports on limitation is sufficient for the measure to be legally valid.
Of course, this rule cannot be applied arbitrarily. Any client cannot be discriminated against for their appearance, age or any other factor, but it is allowed to establish rules that regulate the use of space as long as they are justified and reasonable. Limiting the time of use of a table, preventing the use of computers in certain time slots or reserving areas free of devices are legal measures and, increasingly, usual.
