The article discusses how 21st-century coffee shops have transformed from social hubs into workspaces for remote workers post-pandemic. While these spaces offer convenience, many cafe owners are struggling with the implications of prolonged laptop use, which can reduce turnover and disrupt the intended atmosphere. For instance, Ollie Gold, co-owner of Pophams Bakery, shares his decision to limit laptops in an effort to balance community engagement with business sustainability, citing challenges posed by customers who monopolize tables while barely making purchases.
I remember those early days so well where I'd want someone on a laptop to sit there for eight hours, but I guess as it got busier, you do start to have to make more business-conscious decisions.
People would buy a tea that cost three pounds and would sit there all day; you just can't afford to keep an establishment going like that.
Before long, Gold felt that laptop screens were encroaching on the community soul of Pophams as well as the profit margin.
No laptop' signs have been springing up in cafe windows across the UK as their owners try to reclaim their spaces in the name of tranquility.
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