But the rise of remote work and just an enormous class of workers looking for a free “office” has exploded. I’m sure they have been overrun with squatters buying 1 coffee and sitting for 7 hours — I bet their electricity and bathroom use alone makes them unprofitable. And they displace other transient customers who may have stayed and ordered more like when meeting a friend.
The model is broken at this tragedy of the commons scale.
They do not want to be in business of policing tables usage, and always run the risk of having to displace someone and having it escalate to some kind of video captured confrontation or shaming.
https://www.fastcompany.com/887990/starbucks-third-place-and...
But the rise of remote work and just an enormous class of workers looking for a free “office” has exploded. I’m sure they have been overrun with squatters buying 1 coffee and sitting for 7 hours — I bet their electricity and bathroom use alone makes them unprofitable. And they displace other transient customers who may have stayed and ordered more like when meeting a friend.
The model is broken at this tragedy of the commons scale.
They do not want to be in business of policing tables usage, and always run the risk of having to displace someone and having it escalate to some kind of video captured confrontation or shaming.