Attention remote workers. UK cafes are banning laptops. Here's why

Do you enjoy working from a cafe, sipping on your favourite drink while the aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air? Well, that experience might soon be a thing of the past in some eateries in UK.

Some coffee shops are now implementing laptop bans and policies to deter remote workers from “hogging” tables and make room for patrons who are more prepared to spend, BBC reported.

This shift mirrors recent moves in European cities like Berlin and Paris, where similar restrictions are reshaping cafe culture. With the growing number of eateries introducing laptop bans, the charming scene of digital nomads tucked away in corner seats with a drink may soon be starting to fade.

So, what’s driving this change, and how are these cafes planning to redefine their spaces? Let’s take a closer look

‘Laptops bring the vibe of the place down’

Two cafes in southeast England, The Collective in Caversham and Milk and Bean in Newbury, are leading the charge with new restrictions aimed at curbing laptop use.

The Collective has introduced a policy that prohibits laptop use between 11:30 and 13:30 BST on weekdays, with a complete ban on weekends.

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Alex Middleton, the café’s manager, explained his rationale behind the decision to BBC, “We are a small independent business, so we need to keep those tables busy and turned around - we can’t have people hogging the table and we don’t want to disrespect people that come in with laptops either."

Similarly, Milk and Bean has set a one-hour limit on laptop use during weekdays and banned laptops entirely on weekends.

Owner Chris Chaplin told British broadcaster, “Having [people using] laptops isn’t really ideal - it does mean a lower turnover and quite a low spend compared to people that aren’t on laptops.”

“It also brings the vibe of the place down with people on laptops,” he added.

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Both coffee shop owners expressed similar sentiments that people with laptops often had “quite a low spend” and but would sit at tables for “quite a long time”.

“On one hand, we rely on them for revenue, but on the other hand, they’ve got to be reasonable and have some self awareness,” Chaplin said.  

This move follows similar trends across Europe, with coffee shops and snack bars in Paris and Berlin implementing rules against “laptop squatters."

Some establishments have banned laptops outright, while others charge an hourly rate for their use.

Raquel Llanes, who runs a café in Barcelona’s Raval area, shared her frustrations with Barcelona Secreta, “We’ve had customers who have ordered an espresso and sat for eight hours, people who have asked us to turn the music down so they could have meetings, customers who took out their Tupperware to eat."

“At first, we adapted the space with sockets for work, but after two years we realised that the numbers weren’t working out."

How do customers feel about this?

Middleton said response to The Collective’s laptop policy had been mixed.

“We’re quite lucky that a lot of our customers are returning customers that come in quite often - so they respect the policy, but then you will get people that get a little bit antsy about it,” he said, adding that the goal was to “find a balance” that doesn’t compromise profitability.

A similar initiative at Fringe and Ginge in the southeast city of Canterbury received polarised feedback, Daily Mail reported.

One TripAdvisor reviewer praised the move: “No laptops - superb decision,” alongside a five-star rating.

Another user vented frustration: “Absolutely sick to death of people with laptops, sitting on their own at a table for four, with a glass of water, occupying prime space all bloody day. Wish more cafés would introduce this initiative.”

“No laptops - superb decision,” wrote one user on rating website TripAdvisor, alongside their five star rating.

“Absolutely sick to death of people with laptops, sitting on their own at a table for four, with a glass of water, occupying prime space all bloody day. Wish more cafés would introduce this initiative. Get back in the office for god’s sake, wrote another.

However, not everyone agrees.

One critic remarked, “This policy is quite unusual in my experience, as I’ve visited numerous coffee shops globally and have never encountered such a restriction. While I understand that each establishment has its own rules, this particular policy seems overly restrictive, especially for travellers or locals looking for a cosy corner to work in.”

As the debate continues, it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves and how cafés across the UK find innovative ways to blend tech with tea.

With input from agencies