13 Etiquette tips for remote working in a coffee shop

One thing to come out of the pandemic is more flexible working arrangements across almost every industry. This has opened the door for many to negotiate working from home or hybrid working roles with employers. In fact, the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows around 4 in 10 Australians (37%) work from home at least once a week.

While rolling out of bed each day and hitting the desk in your jammies does come with a level of appeal, there are days when getting out of the house and into a new and high-energy environment can boost your mental health and productivity levels.

For this reason, remote working from the comfort of a local coffee shop has surged in popularity.

While most cafe owners are happy to have you, there are a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to cafe etiquette.

We’re covering them all here.

It’s work from home - but with better snacks

Working from coffee shops usually offers good quality wi-fi, a change of scenery, and did we mention, coffee on tap and a food menu at your fingertips.

While the comfort and facilities of the coffee shop are usually yours to enjoy, there is an expectation that you follow some unwritten rules while you’re there.

1. Don’t be a table hogger

When working from a coffee shop it’s common courtesy to only take up as much space as you actually need. While you may have extra equipment (laptop, chargers, phone) compared to a regular customer, that does not mean you have the right to claim the biggest table. Or even a whole table.

It’s common courtesy to take a small table or bench and work with the space that you have, freeing up bigger tables for groups of other customers.

2. Be mindful of noise

Watching videos, attending Zoom meetings and listening to music, may well support you in your remote working role. However, this type of noise can be quite intrusive to other customers.

You must use headphones for use when listening to anything with sound, and to remove yourself from the area if you have long meetings.

3. Don’t judge the noise around you

This rule may seem contradictory to the previous rule, but it’s important to remember when you are remote working from a cafe, that a cafe is first and foremost a social setting.

If others are laughing, enjoying group conversations, and kids are making noise, this may well intrude on your ability to focus on work, but that is simply the nature of working in a bustling coffee shop environment.

37% of Australians work remotely at least once a week

4. Keep the coffee flowing

If you’re working from a coffee shop, be sure to order coffee (or your drink of choice) at least every 2 hours. It seems obvious, but so often remote workers enjoy the free comforts and facilities of cafes without ordering anything but tap water. This is a sure way to irritate cafe workers and owners and potentially impact on your ability to work there again.

5. Order lunch

As you can imagine, lunchtime is often the busiest time of the day for cafe owners. If you are enjoying a table at a coffee shop over the lunch period, there’s a level of expectation that you order some lunch from the menu, or free up the table for someone who wants to do so. This way you get to enjoy delicious food delivered to your table, without costing the cafe owner potential business.

6. Check your cables

Coffee shops usually allow patrons to plug into their power in order to charge phones and computers. However, charging cables can cause a safety hazard so it’s important to keep them off the ground and out of the way.

7. Don’t dominate the powerpoints

It’s generally ok to plug in and charge your device while you’re at a coffee shop, but that doesn’t mean you should take advantage. Proper etiquette in cafes is to use one powerpoint for your charging and connectivity needs so that there are free powerpoints for other customers or for the business itself.

Almost half of remote workers now spend time each week working from cafes or other third places.

8. Take care of your personal items

Generally speaking, coffee shops are safe places. However as a remote worker, it is not the responsibility of the cafe staff to monitor your items in your absence. If you need to take a break or a toilet trip, it’s best practice to take your valuables and essential personal items with you in the unlikely event that something is stolen or goes missing.

9. Avoid streaming

When working from a cafe, it’s important to remember that you are in a shared space with many other customers using the wi-fi at any given time.

Streaming can seriously slow down internet connection for others so it’s good etiquette to avoid streaming video or other content that will take up large amounts of bandwidth for any length of time.

Video calls can be a prime issue with this, so be sure to double check your calendar before you head into the coffee shop.

10. Read the room

There may be times when you’re working from a cafe, that it gets extremely busy. If there is a waitlist for a table or queue out of the door of customers waiting to get a seat, it is most courteous to give up your table once you’ve finished your food or drinks. Otherwise you run the risk of outstaying your welcome and being asked to leave.

11. Don’t bring your own food and snacks

If you’re planning a big day in front of your laptop you may be tempted to bring your own food or snacks to minimise interruptions and reduce the cost of your visit. However, this is possibly the most frowned-upon thing to do when working remotely in a coffee shop. If you’re hungry it is common etiquette to order from the menu.

12. Put your phone away when ordering

You may have a back-to-back schedule, but being on your phone when placing an order is extremely rude. Be sure to put your device down when chatting to coffee shop staff.

A note on cafe and coffee culture in Australia

Cafe culture runs strong on Australian soil with some 54,000 coffee shops in operation across the country. While major franchises like Jamaica Blue, The Coffee Club, Muffin Break, Zarraffa’s and McCafe have a strong presence, other international brands such as Starbucks have struggled to gain footing on Aussie soil.

This is quite likely due to the vast number of independent coffee houses across the country, each with their own style and selection of coffee beans.

While immensely popular, independent cafes are often smaller spaces with a fiercely local customer base. ‘Regulars’ tend to make visiting their local coffee shop to grab their morning brew a bit of a ritual. This means indy cafes come with a common understanding that they’re community hubs where connection and great coffee are the top priorities.

Naturally, this means they aren’t as suited as remote working locations. So, if you’re on the hunt for a coffee shop you can work comfortably from for longer periods of time, the bigger chains may be your best bet.

What really matters for remote working from a cafe

When you’re working remotely from a coffee shop, mindfulness is key. Always use your best judgment and do your best not to be ‘that guy, or girl’.

By implementing our etiquette rules and some basic common sense you’ll enjoy remote working with a steady stream of caffeine, comfortable seating and a lively atmosphere - it sure beats working from your home office day in, day out.