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> it was common to work for half a day in a coffee shop.

It was always unfair to expect a coffee shop to operate an office for the price of the profit margin on 3 coffees, a sandwich and a muffin.

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Most coffee shops and restaurant were empty 3/4th of the day before people brought laptops you’d see people playing chess or reading books in these spaces. Laptops really mess with this business model because they don’t want to leave as they get busy.

On the plus side, people who don't leave order multiple drinks and the overpriced food, people working tend to like keeping the caffeine buzz going, and for every customer who settles in with a laptop or a book there will be many more who take their coffee out or just use the drive thru and never step inside. The mix of customer types is what makes it possible to keep a coffee shop open.

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