I spent some time in a cafe on Saturday. I was there with my son, James. We bought our drinks and then sat down in the comfy lounge type chairs.
We had some real quality father, son time. I was using my iPad and James was battling enemies on his DS. I should say that this isn’t a common practice. We do actually talk to each other. Anyhow, I’m getting off track.
The thing I started wondering while at the cafe was, “How much time can a couple of drinks buy me in the comfy chair?” Is there a time limit once you’ve purchased your beverage of choice? Does the clock start running once you get your drink or once you finish it?
We took a while to finish our drinks but once we had, we were just a couple of guys sitting in comfortable chairs in front of a table with empty cups on it. Should we have left at that point?
Just as I was pondering these weighty matters a cafe worker came past and removed the empties. We were now just a couple of guys sitting in comfortable chairs in front of an empty table. We now had no visible evidence that we ever belonged there. Thankfully the cafe wasn’t all that busy so we weren’t taking seats that ‘paying customers’ should have been able to access. We didn’t stick around too much after that. There was shopping to be done.
So, my question is this, how much time in the comfy chairs does a couple of drinks buy you? Do you linger once your drink is finished or do you leave as soon the last drop is gone? How long is too long to linger? I’d love to read your comments.
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Hey Rodney,
I always go by the rule that if you see others come in the door and there are no seats left, it’s time to move on… I guess the longer you stay the more inclined you are to buy another cup or one more cake :), so I find most places don’t kick you out perhaps with that in mind..
Stay warm (and dry ;)!)
Hugs,
Jen
Thanks Jenny. I think you’re right about moving on if there’s a lack of seats. I wonder whether the cafes like having a few people hanging around in the quieter times so that it looks like it’s a popular spot.
I wondered this myself recently! And I decided that once the emptied dishes are cleared…you can probably get another half an hour out of the seats! Depending on how busy it is though of course!! I used to work in a coffee shop and never worried about patrons sitting in comfy seats for too long!
Great to get the perspective of a former cafe worker. 🙂
I don”t go to cafe’s since I don’t drink coffee. However, my time at a restaurant is gauged by the conversation going on, the busyness of the place, and whether we are keeping the waiter from more patrons. If i do stay longer than normal, I do leave a heftier tip.
To be honest, we didn’t even have coffee on Saturday. We both had cookies and cream chillers. Lovely.
While the concept of tipping hasn’t really caught on in Australia. It is a growing custom but it’s not really expected.
I don’t know. I’ve often wondered about this myself.
I remember being at a busy restaurant once with my extended family. We had finished our meal, the dishes were being cleared away, and there were a bunch of people waiting for tables. They started giving us the evils because they could see we were finished and they obviously wanted our table. I suggested to my family that it might be time to leave, but my cousin said, “No, we were here first, and we’re not going to be pressured to leave.” She sat there and smiled sweetly at the people waiting while they got more and more annoyed.
I think sometimes when you’re finished and can see people waiting that it is time to move on. But when you’re at a restaurant, it’s like you’re paying for the ‘experience’ as well as the meal. Sure people could move on to another venue, but often when you feel pressured to leave it kills the atmosphere. Good conversations are left unfinished.
I’ve also wondered about the etiquette of lingering. Cafes can be good places to get some writing done, but my desire to write usually outlasts my capacity to drink coffee or eat.
If a cafe is mostly empty, I feel comfortable lingering long after my spending has stopped. Unless it is near closing time or the staff are wanting to clean up – stacking chairs on tables and getting out the mop is a good signal that they are ready for you to go!
If it’s busy, but there are still empty tables, I still linger but with an eye on the empty tables. If all other tables fill, and I’ve finished eating or drinking (with a modest amount of digestion time), then I feel it is time to move on.
A cafe with someone in it is more inviting to me, and probably other potential customers, than one which is empty. So in those between-mealtimes quiter periods I feel free to linger long. Being friendly to staff and interacting with them can help in picking up clues as to how welcome you are.