Should You Write in a Coffee Shop?
We’ve all heard the cliché of writers working in coffee shops. If you’re a writer, or aspire to be one, you may wonder if there are actually any benefits to working in your favorite coffee shop. If you want to try it out, are there certain etiquette rules to follow? How do you know which coffee shops are best?
I’ve done my fair share of writing in coffee shops around the world and have learned a lot about the pros and cons of working in them, the unspoken expectations, and how to gauge if a spot is conducive to writing.
Challenges & Benefits of Writing in Coffee Shops
J.K. Rowling is one writer who loves writing in coffee shops. She wrote much of Harry Potter in one called The Elephant House, located in Edinburgh. Clearly, there are some benefits to this type of atmosphere.
Noise in coffee shops is considered a positive attribute by some people and a negative by others. Personally, if a coffee shop is too loud, I can’t concentrate until I put in my AirPods and start playing some soothing music off of Spotify.
Other people enjoy the mishmash of sounds. According to the study “Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition,” moderate noise levels lead to more creativity than high or low noise levels. Moderate noise levels are considered around 70 dB.
Once you reach about 85 dB (garbage disposal volume), it’s too much noise to promote creativity. Depending on the coffee shop, volume levels might be perfect for creative writing or have too much background noise.
Based on where you currently work, the costs associated with writing in coffee shops may seem expensive or a great deal. If you work from home, switching to coffee shops will be more pricey since you have to pay for food or an expensive cup of coffee. You might also have to pay for transportation.
However, these spots are usually substantially cheaper than coworking spaces and definitely cheaper than renting out an office.
Remember, coffee shop work doesn’t have to be something for your everyday life or nothing. You might enjoy going one day a week to mix up your routine, just work there during a lunch break, or only work in them when you’re traveling.
A major benefit many people find when working in coffee shops is that they feel pressure to be productive. When you’re alone and nobody is watching, you might take a short break and go down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos. Being in a public space stops some people from browsing social media mindlessly.
You also know that the longer you stay, the more you’re expected to buy (more on this later), so you might prioritize working faster.
Depending on whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, being surrounded by others may also energize you. People watching might give you some ideas for fiction writing. Writing can be very isolating and coffee shops can make you feel more social, even if you aren’t talking to others.
How to Choose the Best Coffee Shops for Writing
When you envision writing in a coffee shop, do you imagine a local shop with unique art and mismatched mugs? Or do you think of Starbucks?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of shops. Let’s start by discussing shops that aren’t part of any major chain.
For example, last summer in Kraków, Poland worked a day in Cat Café Kociarnia. Unlike some other cat cafés, there was no entrance fee. You were just required to order something, which most writers would do anyway.
I sipped on tasty coffee with marshmallows, did some client writing, and occasionally baby talked to cats walking around.
Especially when traveling, I highly recommend you write in coffee shops that offer experiences you can’t get back home. A fun or beautiful coffee shop blurs the line between vacation and work.
Writing in Cat Café Kociarnia while my friend codes
However, there can be some significant advantages to working from Starbucks (or a similar chain) and I tend to do this more often than unknown coffee shops. Starbucks policies vary by country. In most places, the coffee chain provides free, fast WiFi and you can stay as long as you like.
In the United States, Starbucks even made a policy a few years ago that you could hang out and use their bathrooms without making a single purchase (though you should and I’ll address that later).
In my personal experience, Starbucks tends to be more reliable than elsewhere for quick internet and it has saved my butt in the past. On the island of Cozumel in Mexico, the hotel I stayed at was supposed to have fast internet. It was actually terrible internet, even for just searches and Google docs. The speedier Starbucks’ internet helped me reach a deadline I wouldn’t have been able to from my hotel.
If you’re at a new coffee shop and considering working there, I suggest first checking if there is free internet and then check the speed. I have the free app Speedtest on my phone to test if the internet is fast enough and there are several other app options as well.
In the last section, I mentioned that studies show you want the volume of your workspace below 85 dB. You can also check the noise level of a café through your phone.
The apps Decibel X and NIOSH SLM are just a couple of available options. Alternatively, invest in a quality pair of noise-canceling headphones.
Finally, check if there are ample outlets available before dedicating yourself to a location. You don’t want to sit down to work just to find out the internet is painfully slow, the place is way too loud, or your laptop is about to die without a way to charge it.
Etiquette for Working in Coffee Shops
There are a lot of differing opinions on what is acceptable for writers to do in coffee shops, but a few standard rules typically apply. It should be obvious that you need to buy something, even if you’re at a Starbucks or café where it isn’t required. How much you need to purchase will depend on how long you’re staying and if it’s busy.
For example, if you’re working at a Starbucks for a few hours in the middle of the day and the place is mostly empty, in my opinion, it’s fine if you only nurse a drink or two while you’re there. You haven’t spent an entire workday there and you aren’t discouraging more customers.
However, if it becomes busier and there aren’t many tables available, you should order food or drinks more frequently. Similarly, if you’ve been there most of the day, you should order something new even if the place isn’t busy.
Whenever possible, I suggest working with another person because you’ll feel more social and have somebody to watch your stuff on bathroom breaks or if you need to step out for a phone call. If you’re working alone, try to get a smaller table and save the larger ones for groups.
If you have to conduct phone calls, don’t do so in any quiet coffee shops where you’ll be a distraction. Generally, in louder places where most people are talking, this isn’t an issue (though it might seem unprofessional to whoever you’re speaking to).
Please note that people’s opinions on coffee shop etiquette vary widely, so you’ll have to determine what makes the most sense to you.
Final Thoughts
Don’t worry, if you choose not to write in coffee shops, that doesn’t mean you aren’t a legitimate writer. However, you might find many benefits to writing in them, such a boost to creativity. When choosing coffee shops to work in, check the internet speed, noise level, and availability of outlets.
Don’t overstress about etiquette, but do make sure to buy something, not take up too much space, and not be overly loud. Now go out and write! I look forward to reading what you create in coffee shops around the globe.