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How Small Coffee Shops Feel About Starbucks WiFi
from the mixed-feelings dept
Starbucks' (via T-Mobile) move to offer WiFi access in most of their stores has received a ton of attention lately. However, there have been a bunch of smaller, independent coffee shops that have offered internet access for a while now (sometimes for free), so SFGate wanted to see how these shops felt about Starbucks muscling in on their internet access business. It seems they have mixed feelings. Some are upset that Starbucks is going to steal customers away, even though the T-Mobile offering seems to be a lot more expensive than any small shop is offering. Of course, I still think that these shops should focus on what they do best (selling coffee and associated foods) and simply look at offering free wireless access to bring in new customers. If T-Mobile keeps up its current pricing, then cheaper or free access would certainly counter that. However, there's also one coffee shop owner who says that he doesn't want the sort of traffic that these laptop toting, web surfing types bring in to his coffee shop. It seems they mostly buy a single cup of coffee and then sit there for four hours (admittedly, I am guilty of doing this). Of course, the people who do that, tend to come in during off-peak hours anyway, so they're not keeping anyone else from sitting at a table, and they're still buying something. I just find it amusing to think of laptop-toting wireless web surfing geeks as being the "wrong sort of element" for a coffee shop.
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Ok, so...
Ok, I'm not a coffee drinker, so I have relatively no clue what can be purchased in these so called coffee shops, except of course coffee. But I am a coder, so I must ask, do these shops sell soda, munchies, and whatnot that we have a reputation for imbibing? Would a broader selection of munchies that we'd want to buy address this single cup situation?
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cyber cafes don't work anyway?
I live in Silicon Valley, and cyber cafes aren't very popular here. There are one or two I pass by in my town, but I've never seen more than about one customer in them. People here live surrounded by computers at home and work, so going out means getting away from them. As a possible exception, I've heard reports of pearl-tea shops that are hangouts for Asian ethnics, but they go more for the pearl tea and Asian camaraderie than surfing the web.
It seems to me cyber cafes are more popular in areas where home computers are not widely available, or the computer literacy rate is low. Places like New York City or Moscow has shitloads of them to cater to the Macintosh/"I've never used email before" crowd.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
There are some cybercafes, but that's not what we're talking about. We're talking about regular coffee shops that happen to provide internet access as well, to draw in more customers... And, there are a bunch of those all over Silicon Valley.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
Well, maybe it's just my lifestyle but the coffee shops I've been to have people who go in and out quickly. If anyone is going to loiter for internet access there, it's probably teenagers or college kids who the shops don't really want anyway.
I wonder if there isn't a market for the reverse business model -- shops that jam radio signals so the cell-phoners and laptoppers can be kept away.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
Actually, I've found that, occasionally, it's a nice change of scenery to park myself in a coffee shop and work from there. I've certainly seen other folks there who were clearly not teenagers or college kids. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but there does seem to be a group of people who do like using it.
I also find it useful when I'm travelling (when I can find a place that has WiFi). I know other business travellers do the same thing as well. Knowing that we can turn a Starbucks into a temporary office for an hour or two is a huge benefit.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
I'd love to be able to take my Macintosh to somewhere where I could get a good cup of coffee and be out of the office for a while but still be connected. Of course, the good cup of coffee requirement rule sout Starbucks straight away.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
"People here live surrounded by computers at home and work, so going out means getting away from them."
Then explain the popularity - perhaps epidemic - of the cell phone?
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
Cell phones are not the same thing. People want to get away from being hunched over a PC.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
Cell phones are popular for talking and sometimes sms messages not surfing the net.
The majority (mass market) doesn't have a clue what wifi is and what it can do for them yet alone try to figure how to go about using it. If their device does not say "you've got mail" or "search" in a simple way, noone understands yet alone cares to.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
Mac users are not generally dumbshits who don't know how to email. I would go out on a limb and say there are generally more PC users who don't know to turn their computers on based on the fact that PC's are about 90% of the market.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
If you live close to a starbucks and want to extend your own hotspot to the location you should get a YachtSpot unit. Set up a hotspot, charge half as much as starbucks and pay your rent with it :)
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This unit comes completely assembled so all you have to do is plug it in and position it. It sells retail for $678 and will be custom configured for your company name/access point name. We will provide all support and answer any questions forever. It is so simple to deploy. Don't be fooled by access points on ebay that do not come with all the proper equipment to effectly provide a wifi solution. You cannot beat this opportunity.
This unit is used in homes, apartment buildings, offices, outdoor yards, neighborhoods, connecting 2 locations together, sharing internet connections, marinas, yacht clubs, parks, trade shows etc. More information: http://www.yachtspot.net
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
sounds interesting, but hesitated:
http://powerandmotoryacht.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=238&postid=1768
Your PayPal account doesn't seem to work properly to receive payment at all...
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
YachtSpot is being sold on eBay and at Trade Shows.
The Powerboat thread is a bunch of BS, YachtSpots are up and running at over 50 large hotspots throughout the USA. Due to Internet scamsand payment frauds we have stopped selling on our website. Also consider that each YachtSpot is custom to order, it usually takes 10+ days unless it is purchased as a demo on eBay.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
Sorry to bring this thread back, but I've been ripped of by this guy before. He used to sell YacthSpot through PayPal, however I paid and was never shipped a product. Paypal has since closed their account. Be warned, it IS a scam! To verify, just try calling the seller.
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Re: cyber cafes don't work anyway?
I have to agree. We have tried and tried to get ahold of this guy to BUY a system and he never gets back to us. Yachtmama.com is down - I wonder if this is any indication on how he pays his own bills.
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Re: Ok, so...
hiss
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Re: Ok, so...
Our Marina has 4 yachtspot units, all delivered as promised and have never had a problem. Try our access at Navy Point Marina.
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open new buisiness with computers and coffee
A freind and me are wanting to open up a internet cafe in town. They can drink coffe and other drinks while working on our or their computers. What do you all say about this idea?
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