The Local Cafe Reborn

A remote workers collaboration hub

Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash

The period post-COVID lockdown is a perfect opportunity for cafes to make a comeback by refocusing on locals who are opting to work from home (WFH). It is predicted that the shift might be a 3/2 WFH ratio, with most wanting two days WFH.

Was the Starbucks experience in 2010 the catalyst to connectivity over coffee?

Starbucks started offering free Wifi on July 1 2010, and having travelled to the United States several times since 2011; I was an early adopter. I sought out my local Starbucks to utilize the free Wifi. Admittingly, as I was from Melbourne, well known for its fantastic coffee, my decision was often based on the free Wifi over cafes that did not offer the FREE service.

Connectivity was essential to me whilst in the USA. My daughter was playing tennis in Florida; I ran online classes for higher education institutions and needed to keep in touch with students and participate in discussion forums and review assignments. Those were submitted from halfway around the globe.

As I sat in my local Starbucks, usually at 6 am, I observed the Starbucks buzzing with a fair proportion on laptops and mobile devices. It was a fantastic buzz as people appeared to be working on their devices no differently than at home or in an office environment.

Whether in Olney, Maryland, Georgetown, downtown Washington D.C, New York City or Sarasota, Florida at the IMG Tennis Academy, I would experience the same buzz with digital natives, eyes down as if at the local Church bingo hall. Most importantly, they enjoyed an assortment of coffee Starbucks offered, pastries, and the rush of connectivity. You could see it in their faces as they entered the daily password and connected to the outside world.

Photo by Kevin laminto on Unsplash

This image on Unsplash, 'Lost in a digital world' by Kevin Lamento, demonstrates how people love free Wifi.

Yet at many cafes back in Melbourne, I got glazed looks when I asked for the Wifi password.

For the everyday person, data is the new oil, and it is pretty expensive, and people love FREE. So why have…