Six Golden Rules for Working Remotely from a Cafe
Working remotely from a cafe? Etiquette matters!
While many cafes in cities around the world have become cozy “third spaces” that welcome remote workers and digital nomads to bring their laptops there to get work done, you can absolutely create a mutually harmonious experience while you are working remotely from a cafe for you, the staff and other patrons.
Below are six golden rules we think are super important to be followed when working remotely from a cafe:
1. It’s sad we have to even say this - but first & foremost, please order in accordance with how long you stay!
It can be pretty infuriating and awkward for cafe staff to deal with remote workers who pay for only 1 coffee all day that they nurse for 5 hours! While most remote workers who regularly work remotely from cafes do know better, this is a problem that many cafes have to deal with. While there isn’t a bright-line rule of how many increments of time warrant spending more money in a cafe, we at Adventurely personally consider ordering something every 1-1.5 hours. Whether that’s more bottled beverages, hot drinks, or food. We’re sure a lot of people might debate our personal feelings around this, but its safe to say that most people would consider spending beyond two hours at a table in a cafe without ordering more food or drink is pushing the limits on “work from cafe” etiquette.
2. It’s probably best to schedule video & phone calls for work for when you’re *not* working from a cafe.
Cafes can be lively and noisy places. However, as a remote worker, it's important to respect the other patrons and maintain a professional atmosphere. Avoid taking or making loud phone or video calls while there. There’s lots of “other” types of work that you can do in a cafe that doesn’t require being on a phone or video call - its best to pursue doing those other work tasks when working remotely from a cafe.
3. Follow any policies & guidelines posted directly by the cafes you work from
Some cafe’s might have rules posted about hours when laptops are allowed -an increasing amount of cafes have signs and notices that for after hours they don’t permit laptops on the tables. There might also be other policies that are articulated for customers to be mindful of when they go to a particular cafe. Either way - keep an eye out for cafe rules that might be posted, and be sure to follow them!
4. Use headphones
While we advised in golden rule #2 about not scheduling work phone or video calls at cafes, it’s totally fine to want to stream your favorite music from your laptop while you work from a cafe-but with headphones! Be sure to keep your music playlists for your own listening pleasure when working from a cafe by using headphones, and not openly streaming music from your laptop, no matter how low the volume is.
5. Be mindful of your surroundings
Remember that you are sharing the cafe with other customers. Avoid distracting behaviors like talking loudly, pacing around, or engaging in activities that may disrupt the environment. Maintain a professional demeanor and focus on your work
6. Tip the staff!
If there’s ever a time to be mindful about tipping, its especially so if you’re spending multiple hours working from a cafe. Be sure to tip the staff there appropriately!
Work remotely around the world with Adventurely!