How to work in coffee shops without breaking the bank (or pissing off the staff)
While it might never have originally been intended, coffee shops have opened their doors to remote workers, writers, students, and anyone looking for a comfortable environment to get their head down for a few hours; it’s basically impossible to walk into one without seeing several laptops. Even in university, when all my peers would go to the library, I would trek the 25-minute walk into town to go and sit in a Starbucks. For me, sitting somewhere surrounded by other people working on dissertations and revising for exams just amplified the stress that I already felt and a coffee shop seemed like a perfect alternative (what more would I need than plug sockets and caffeinated drinks?) Granted the coffees, of course, added up, but I saw these as an investment into my education as my focus improved hugely and I saw myself making major headway on essays that I struggled to even start in the library. Fast-forward to now and I still feel the same way. If I could actually do my day-job from a coffee shop I 100% would. A long-standing debate that I have with myself though, is this: is it actually okay to work in coffee shops?
Have you ever walked into a coffee shop to grab a drink or some food with someone only to see every seat taken up, and leave feeling frustrated at those people that are still sat with their laptops or books and an empty cup next to them? Well it must be even more frustrating for the staff that aren’t able to maximise how many customers they serve during busy periods because of the individuals that buy one coffee and take up a seat for 2 hours. While coffee shops are certainly a great place to work - and a lot of them do welcome this by providing free WiFi and plug sockets - bear in mind that they are still a business. That coffee shop you love so much will suffer if people continue to hog seats long after finishing their food/drink when there are potential customers wanting them.
As a general rule of thumb for working in coffee shops, try to go during off-peak periods when there are plenty of spare seats, and keep an eye on them. If all of a sudden you notice that the place has filled up, you should probably give your seat up so that a new customer could order and take it. Make sure you buy something at regular intervals, if it’s not busy and you are able to stay for a few hours, I would say buy a coffee at least once every hour and a half.
Re-creating the coffee shop environment at home
I recently took a three month break from work to focus on writing, digital design, and art, and it was extremely tempting to treat coffee shops as my office. But, let’s be real… as much as I wanted to, I absolutely could not afford to buy coffee every day. Let’s say on the average day, I would spend about 3-4 hours working in a coffee shop, and during that time, I would buy two coffees (as per my rule). If I did this every day of the work week, I would be spending £30 in a week/£120 in a month if I didn’t get any food (which is a huge IF – girl’s gotta eat). So, this is where faking it comes into play.
Stock up on good quality supplies
Whatever your usual go-to drink is, make sure you stock your kitchen so that you don’t run out of supplies. If you’re a tea person that’s great (and cheap) for you but I need my coffee. Me being of an age where I am attempting to be a sensible adult and start saving some money (i.e. pay off my student overdraft that I have remained in the depths of since graduating almost 4 years ago), I asked for a very grown-up Christmas present: a Nespresso machine. This was intended as a way to save money on buying coffee out and I would like to mention that it has been quite a success. With each espresso pod being roughly 35p, even if I have a double with soy milk, I’m still spending less than a pound on a coffee instead of £3-4. I’m also a giant child that enjoys flavoured coffee syrup and I was on the verge of ordering some Monin ones (that Costa use) from Amazon when I saw 3 whole shelves full of various syrups in TK Maxx for £3.99 each. I will be honest, they aren’t as good as Monin, but they are zero calorie and it will last me for about 7 thousand cups so it will do for now.
Invest in some nice cups/mugs
There is zero doubt that the cup or mug or whatever beverage container you choose to drink out of makes a difference to your overall experience. Personally, I like these little cups and saucers that you sometimes see in independent coffee shops, but you could easily buy some of those tall glasses that Costa use for lattes, or get some classic big white mugs like Starbucks use. I’ve added a few links below or if you actually want a branded one, Starbucks always have some in their merchandise section! If you are in Manchester, I would also check out the Makers Market which runs in Stevenson Square on the second Sunday of the month (it has other locations too just have a look here) as I have bought some beautiful handmade mugs and bowls from there before.
Soundtrack the room
I cannot work in silence, and maybe that is one of the things that draws me to coffee shops as there is always background noise. While I am not about to suggest that you whack on a recording of ‘coffee shop sounds’, I would recommend finding (or creating) a playlist that will run for at least a few hours and help you to focus (I would rule out anything sing-a-long as you may succeed in perfecting your knowledge of The Kooks lyrics but you probably won’t get much else done.)
Make it cosy
I’m all for saving money by not having the heating on all the time but you don’t want to be sat there shivering. Make your surroundings somewhere that you are comfortable being, invest in some nice throws and cushions for your sofa, and if your room is on the chilly side, buy some warm slippers and loungewear. I personally enjoy setting myself up near a window too to get a bit of natural light in as well. Natural light has been shown to increase performance and concentration, and have a positive effect on mood, particularly if you suffer from SAD. If you have the option to set up near a window, then do so but if not, there are some great natural light lamps that you can buy to mimic the positive effects of sunlight - check them out here.
Admittedly, the pull of an artisan coffee from a local coffee shop does get too much for me sometimes, and my substitute didn’t always hit the spot, so I still budget for the occasional field-trip. I am lucky enough to live within a couple of minutes walk to a number of great independent Northern Quarter coffee shops so resisting isn’t easy. Check out a few of my favourite coffee shops in Manchester below!
Takk - http://takkmcr.com
Foundation - http://www.foundationcoffeehouse.co.uk
Black Sheep Coffee - http://www.leavetheherdbehind.com
Ezra & Gil - http://www.ezraandgil.com
Author: Clare Palmer
Clare Palmer is a Manchester-based artist, specialising in creating bold, colourful pieces in acrylic. See her work here.