Remote workers typing away in coffee shops at all hours of the day while nursing a single drink has become a regular sight since the pandemic.
But some cafes are now fighting back by banning laptops to try and make room for customers who are prepared to spend more money.
They also claim people working on computers ruin the atmosphere of cafes by ‘bringing the vibe of the place down’.
The Collective in Caversham no longer allows the use of laptops between 11:30am and 1:30pm on weekdays – and has completely banned the devices at weekends.
Newbury-based coffee shop Milk and Bean has also implemented similar policies by introducing a cap on laptop use to an hour on weekdays and banning them on weekends.
Milk and Bean owner Chris Chaplin told the BBC: ‘Having [people using] laptops isn’t really ideal – it does mean a lower turnover and quite a low spend compared to people that aren’t on laptops.
‘It also brings the vibe of the place down with people on laptops.’
He told the broadcaster he relied on them for revenue, but they had to be reasonable and have some self awareness.
The Collective manager Alex Middleton said the policy was about finding a ‘balance’, where it ‘doesn’t compromise us losing money’.
He said as a small independent business it needs to keep tables busy and turned around and ‘we can’t have people hogging the table and we don’t want to disrespect people that come in with laptops either’.
Mr Middleton said that people coming in with laptops often had ‘quite a low spend’, but would sit at tables for ‘quite a long time’.
Although many of his customers were regulars and respect the policy, some people can get a ‘little bit antsy about it’, said Mr Middleton.
One cafe that has already banned laptops is the Fringe and Ginge in Canterbury.
The decision has divided customers with many weighing in on the review site TripAdvisor with their opinions.
‘No laptops – superb decision,’ writes one alongside their five star rating.
‘Absolutely sick to death of people with laptops, sitting on their own at a table for four, with a glass of water, occupying prime space all bloody day.
‘Wish more cafés would introduce this initiative. Get back in the office for god’s sake.’
However another disagreed, commenting: ‘This policy is quite unusual in my experience, as I’ve visited numerous coffee shops globally and have never encountered such a restriction.
‘While I understand that each establishment has its own rules, this particular policy seems overly restrictive, especially for travellers or locals looking for a cosy corner to work in.’
A reporter from KentOnline visited the laptop-free cafe in May and wrote they ‘absolutely support the move to ban laptops’ after visiting.
They said: ‘Even as a remote worker, I totally see the need for spaces where the stress and worries of work can be left at the door and you can just connect with others away from the screen while relaxing over a delicious cup of coffee.’
Alfie Edwards, who owns Fringe and Ginge with his partner Olivia Walsh, said in May it was a ‘tough decision’ but has been ultimately successful.
He said: ‘I think what has changed massively in the dynamic and the way that people work. We had some really bad experiences with people, asking us to turn music off so they could do Zoom meetings.
‘Then we just sort of figured out it – this is not what it is about.There are so many places you can go and rent desk space, you can work in the libraries.
‘There are loads of places where they’re dedicated to people working – and they have cafes as well. Here, we just realised we wanted to take hospitality back, have it dedicated to just serving people and letting them have a nice experience.’
Mr Edwards and Ms Walsh set up the cafe in July 2020, shortly after the first Covid lockdown restriction was lifted during a high point for remote working as thousands worked from home or faced furlough.
But as time progressed and lockdown rules were removed, workers would spend hours hunched over their computers, typing away in silence.
Describing how the atmosphere changed since the laptop ban, Mr Edwards said: ‘It’s just so nice to have people who were previously strangers that now chat regularly.
‘To see people connecting, we’ve kind of built a community here.
‘It’s a neighbourhood hangout for a lot of people.
‘There are already many places where you can rent desks, or people can work in the library. We aren’t a big space and we’re social here – that’s a big part of it.
‘It’s just something we had to do, you don’t want upset people, but it was the right decision.’
Britain is not the only country experiencing a backlash against remote workers hogging cafe tables.
In Europe there has also been a crackdown on ‘digital nomads’ with coffee shops and snack bars from Paris, Berlin and Barcelona having already established rules for so-called ‘laptop squatters’, according to EuroNews.
Raquel Llanes, who runs a cafe in the Raval area of Barcelona, explained to local website Barcelona Secreta that the situation was out of control.
She wrote: ‘We’ve had customers who have ordered an espresso and sat for eight hours, people who have asked us to turn the music down so they could have meetings, customers who took out their Tupperware to eat.
‘At first we adapted the space with sockets and to work, but after two years we realised that the numbers weren’t working out.’
Some cafes in Spain, one of the most desirable locations for digital nomads, have even turned off WiFi to dissuade laptop workers.
Other cafes in European cities charge an hourly rate for the privilege of using laptops.