| Re: Aberystwyth cafe asks laptop users not to 'hog' tables Posted by grahame at 16:44, 13th April 2026 |     |
A story out of almost nothing? Cafes and restaurants at busy times have always needed to help tables turn over. Whether a customer is writing a letter on paper, reading a book, doing a puzzle, sleeping, knitting or using her or his mobile phone it has always been an issue that at rare times there's an issue to ask customers to let other make use of the business around them. Been there on both sides.
| Aberystwyth cafe asks laptop users not to 'hog' tables Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 15:26, 13th April 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Cafe tells laptop users not to 'hog' tables
The owner of Sophie's cafe in Aberystwyth had to ask a customer to leave because he had been occupying a table for hours
A cafe is asking customers not to use their laptops at its tables and "hog" them for hours, preventing other customers from finding seats and damaging business.
Sara Jenkins, who owns Sophie's cafe in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, said everyone was welcome but that people needed to be more considerate of those who wish to eat there.
A Facebook post by the cafe outlining the new rule has received over 300 responses, including comments welcoming the move, Sara said.
"It's sometimes frustrating when someone grabs a table for hours during busy periods - because we're losing money," she said. "I was afraid I was being unreasonable at first, but the response has been very positive so far," she added. "We welcome everyone - old, young, students, children. But we're a cafe that works quickly, and we're always busy - every customer has been served within about five to 10 minutes."
According to Sara, one customer came in shortly after 08:00 and stayed until at least 10:15 after having toast and coffee, spending over two hours behind his laptop.
"We asked him if he would like to anything else - but he didn't, and unfortunately we had to ask him to leave shortly afterwards. I hate to feel awkward or make someone else feel awkward, but we're not a cyber cafe - we don't even have sockets at our tables. I'm very proud of the response there to the message so far - everyone in the comments has welcomed the request - which makes us feel better," she said.
(BBC article continues)
The owner of Sophie's cafe in Aberystwyth had to ask a customer to leave because he had been occupying a table for hours
A cafe is asking customers not to use their laptops at its tables and "hog" them for hours, preventing other customers from finding seats and damaging business.
Sara Jenkins, who owns Sophie's cafe in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, said everyone was welcome but that people needed to be more considerate of those who wish to eat there.
A Facebook post by the cafe outlining the new rule has received over 300 responses, including comments welcoming the move, Sara said.
"It's sometimes frustrating when someone grabs a table for hours during busy periods - because we're losing money," she said. "I was afraid I was being unreasonable at first, but the response has been very positive so far," she added. "We welcome everyone - old, young, students, children. But we're a cafe that works quickly, and we're always busy - every customer has been served within about five to 10 minutes."
According to Sara, one customer came in shortly after 08:00 and stayed until at least 10:15 after having toast and coffee, spending over two hours behind his laptop.
"We asked him if he would like to anything else - but he didn't, and unfortunately we had to ask him to leave shortly afterwards. I hate to feel awkward or make someone else feel awkward, but we're not a cyber cafe - we don't even have sockets at our tables. I'm very proud of the response there to the message so far - everyone in the comments has welcomed the request - which makes us feel better," she said.
(BBC article continues)
My understanding is that grahame only uses such a tabletop to facilitate his rather unfortunate habit of spilling liquids across the keyboard.
CfN.
