It’s a cliche at this point.  Wherever there’s a coffee shop, coffeehouse, or coffee-serving establishment, there won’t be quiet conversation, people reading books, or people drinking coffee.  Oh no, it’ll be full of people on computers, tethered to the power outlets and staring blankly at the screens on laptops, netbooks, iPads, iPods, or e-readers.  It’s fitting that, since coffeehouses were the first places to openly evangelize wifi to the masses that coffeehouses will also be the first places to start unplugging the wifi.

It comes down to two reasons, essentially.  There’s the money issue.  People with laptops spread out over the whole table, sit there for hours, and generally drink up all the electricity while sipping one cup of coffee for several hours.  That’s not good for the power bill and definitely hurts paying customers who have nowhere to sit and enjoy their drinks and/or a snack.  When there’s no turnover, there’s no profits.

Then, there’s the ambiance issue.  A room full of people staring at screens is too much like work!  Who wants to go there and hang out?  At worse, you get your drink and then you high-tail it for greener pastures where you’re free of the faint sounds of music, compulsive clicking of mice or keyboards, and people pretending to write novels.

So, gentle reader.  Would you go to a wifi-free coffee shop?  Would you avoid a wifi-free coffee shop?  Both options have their place in the world, for sure.  For me, it doesn’t matter what wifi there is or isn’t; I’m the rare bird that goes to a coffeehouse to drink coffee.  I know, I’m STRANGE.

Image: Real Estate