Here's Exactly How Long You Can Sit In A Coffee Shop Before You Annoy The Baristas

With more people than ever working remotely these days, your local café may have become a de facto office space. The combination of warm, energizing beverages, carb-rich pastries, mellow acoustic playlists and barista small talk often creates an environment that empowers you to check every single to-do item off your list.

Your stay may seem harmless, but at some point, baristas and shop owners wish you would pack up your stuff and hit the road. So when should you leave?

An average $6 drink buys you about 90 minutes in the café, according to Heather Perry, a two-time U.S. Barista Champion and the CEO of California-based Klatch Coffee .

Intentionally or not, you usually take up two to four seats at a coffee shop, depending on what type of table you’re sitting at and if you’ve popped your bag on the chair next to you to dissuade strangers. “If you’re by yourself, working alone, and you’re taking up that table for 90 minutes [for] $6 — that’s a pretty high cost for a retailer right there,” Perry explained. Stay any longer than that, and you might be affecting your local café’s revenue for the day.

But there’s not really one cut-and-dry answer for how long you can hang out at a coffee shop. Instead, consider your surroundings to decide if you’re overstaying your welcome, baristas recommend.

Think about what time of day you’re stopping in for a cup. Lingering for a few hours on a Wednesday morning probably isn’t as big of a deal as camping out at a table on a busy Saturday morning, Perry said.

You should also weigh the design, size and atmosphere of the space. Open layouts, couches and community tables are signals that you’re invited to linger, said Caroline Bell, the founder of the New York City-based Cafe Grumpy. If