If you are used to spending hours in a terrace to work, talking or simply relaxing, your habit can be expensive – at least in some Spanish cities. Several cafes in Barcelona and Madrid are implementing a new policy: the more time you pass the table, the more paid.
The case that is most generating controversy takes place at the Caffè Perfectto, located in the Barceloneta area in Barcelona. There, a coffee costs 1.30 euros if consumed quickly. But if you decide to take more than 30 minutes, the price rises to 2.50 euros. And if you surpass an hour and a half, the account can reach 4 euros.
Massimo, the coffee owner, explained to the Diario newspaper that the measure was created to raise customers. “A person cannot spend long without consuming, but business does not make a profit,” he said. The price list was posted on the tables and quickly became viral on social networks.
The situation is not unique. In Madrid, several establishments, especially in the Lavapiés neighborhood, have already placed limits to the time customers can be with computers. In some cases, it is only allowed to work for two hours and only during the working days. On the weekend, this use is prohibited.
The trend is generating a lot of controversy. Many local residents complain that the coffees are no longer accessible spaces for those who live or work in the neighborhoods. Maria Moreno Albiol, who shared the case on social networks, regrets that Barceloneta’s coffees have turned only to serve only tourists: “Prices are exorbitant, as are housing in the city.”
In addition to the inflated prices, there were also reports of customers to whom the use of electricity and Wi-Fi was charged for having spent several hours in a cafe to work.
The organization of consumers and users of Catalonia (OCCI) clarifies that these practices are legal, provided that the notices are visible and the information is given to the customer before they sit down.
With the increase of digital nodes and remote workers, it remains to be seen if this trend will spread even more-and if coffees will continue to be leisure spaces or if they will become increasingly placed at an appointment.
