Is the party over for free wi-fi in cafes? - BBC News

Is the party over for free wi-fi in cafes? - BBC News

One cafe hides its electrical outlets and, between 11 am and 4 pm, cuts off wifi. Another eliminated wifi completely, only to have to reverse its course a few weeks later. Yet another cafe is leasing out a basement as a co-working space. How does a coffeehouse cultivate loyal customers without encouraging table hogs?

A couple techniques I've observed: Printing a unique wifi key, good for two hours, on the customer's receipt. Offering bandwidth priority to customers who spend above a certain threshold. Seems like it would be simple to grant a DHCP lease with the duration proportional to the amount of money spent on food and drink.

Workshop Cafe in San Francisco's Financial District has a small free wifi space, but most of the coffeehouse is reserved for people who pay $2 to $3 per hour. In exchange, customers get faster wifi, outlets, access to printers, scanners, and large screen displays, private phone booths, and ergonomic chairs. Members can order drinks and food from their seats, can reserve a specific spot using the app, and can optionally share their info with other members, opening the door to collaboration. I am not a tax expert, but it seems the money paid specifically for a place to sit would be deductible as a business expense, while the money you spend in a conventional coffeehouse on coffee and paninis to justify your continued occupancy of a table would not be.