Chances are if you own a laptop, you’ve worked in a coffee shop before. Going on a regular basis and making the local Starbucks your office away from home might be a bit of an adjustment … here are some tips for caffeinating your out of office workflow
Know When To Go And Save A Spot
Every coffee shop has its rush hour where patrons want to sit and enjoy the coffee making it hard for you to snag a table for a few hours. In my experience, the morning rush and office lunch breaks are the worst times to get an open seat. However, your mileage may vary depending on which shop you go to.
When setting foot and you notice it’s busy, try to snag a spot before ordering. An open seat can be snatched up very quickly but setting your bag down on the table will net you that spot while you order. However, if the line is insanely long and you’re worried about the large crowd shadowing a potential thief, wait until the line dies down before you order.
Don’t Be Known As “That Guy”
Gas prices are high, your rent went up and you don’t want to spend the couple bucks on coffee. You might be known as ‘that guy.’
Some coffee shops are lenient on their Wifi use and even if they don’t explicitly state you must be a customer to use the free Internet, it’s almost expected you buy something to lounge around for a few hours. Buy a coffee, be friendly to the servers and build a good relationship with them. You’ll likely be coming back if the atmosphere, people, wifi and beverages are good so don’t be an Internet leech – actually interact.
Vary Which Coffee Shops You Go To
Another easy way to be labeled as ‘that guy’ in your local coffee shop is to show up every day … that’s why it’s a good idea to be friendly and get to know the people who serve you coffee every day.
Try to find other coffee shops in the other day and vary up your work schedule so you’re in a different location each time. You won’t grow tired of looking at the same scene every day but if one shop’s wifi goes out or service is bad, you have an alternative.
