Guides
Two kinds of thing: what we have found cataloguing the places people work from, with the method shown so you can check it, and straight answers to the questions people ask before they take a laptop somewhere.
From the catalogue
Numbers nobody else can publish, read live from the database.
From the catalogue
What the open data actually knows about working from cafés
We hold 6,569 cafés, libraries and coworking spaces across 58 cities and can confirm power outlets at 116 of them. What that gap is made of, and why a "best cities for laptop work" ranking built on this data would rank mapping habits instead of cities.
Questions, answered
The etiquette people are actually unsure about.
Answered
Is it rude to work in a coffee shop?
No — cafés that put out power outlets and Wi-Fi are inviting it. What makes it rude is the table you take, the hour you take it, and how long you sit on one coffee.
Answered
How long can you work in a café?
The unwritten rule is about ninety minutes per drink, and about two hours before you should either buy again or leave. What changes it: the time of day, the size of the room, and whether a limit is posted.
Answered
Do you have to buy something to work in a café?
In practice, yes — the table is what the drink pays for. If you would rather not, a public library is the honest alternative, and there are more of them than people expect.
Answered
Which coffee shop is best for working on a laptop?
No chain reliably is, and the data says why: the large chains in our catalogue report Wi‑Fi at almost every location and power outlets at almost none of them. What actually decides it, and what to check before you order.
Answered
Why do people work in coffee shops?
Three things a café supplies that a home desk does not: other people in the room, a reason to start, and an end to the day. Also where it stops working, which is the part the question usually skips.