Mark Story is the Deputy Editor at Hawkes Bay Today – he recently wrote an opinion piece about working remotely at cafes, after being banned from Smiths in Napier for ‘table-hogging.”
He interviewed hospitality owners from around the country, to shed some light on what’s reasonable.
Story told Kerre Woodham “I think it’s common sense – if I did stay longer than an hour or two, I’d buy something else.”
He said “People attract people – if people see that it’s being well-attended, it adds to the buzz.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the carry wood of morning's podcast from
news Talks hed.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
B this hour, I would like to get your opinion
on this interesting story and a fun story wasn't a
whiney story? I thought he managed to strike the tone
very well. Mark's story, who, funnily enough, is a journalist
telling stories. Love those names where they actually relate to
(00:31):
what the person does. So Mark's story is a journal
And he went into his local eatery in Hawk's Bay,
and he is one of those who uses the cafe
as a kind of impromptu office. He can get a
decent coffee, get something to eat. He's a coffersing enthusiast,
(00:55):
someone who for a handful of hours a week, enjoys
the white noise of a cafe to working remotely. So
pops into the cafe because there's people around, there's a buzz.
You don't feel quite so alone and isolated when the
muse is not coming to you, or you're just feeling
like you haven't seen another person for a very long time,
(01:16):
so you pop into your office and off you go.
But after a change of ownership, he'd been doing this
for some time, but the cafe that he went to
recently changed hands, and after an hour or so, a
white person came up and said, can I get you
anything else? And he said no, thank you. And then
the person said, well, you'll have to move on. I'm
(01:38):
mindful of other paying customers. And Mark's story said, m sure,
but that's a very weird vibe. There are tables available.
And the white person said, well, you've only had a briosh.
He said, I did have a You've only had a coffee.
And he said, well, I did have a briosh. So
he was moved on and told that there are limits,
(02:03):
and he said, what's reason and what is not? He
asked that question, and he published the story, the story
of being turfed out after table hogging, and Mark's story
joins us. Now, very good morning to.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
You, Oh, good morning, carry good morning.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I was just saying, you actually struck quite a good tone.
It's quite difficult to do. You didn't sound like you
were whining. It sounded like a genuine query what's reasonable,
what's not?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You know?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And it was a kind of fun story. And more
and more people I know loads who use cafes when
they do start to feel like they're the last person
left on earth or where they do want that kind
of buzz m. Yes, is it reasonable or.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Is it not?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
What?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
What have you come to the conclusion. There's a lot
of feedback on the story.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yeah, oh well, thank you for that, because that was
what I was going for.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I didn't want to I didn't want to slam anybody.
They were a great local cafe and they're doing it tough,
like they all are. Yeah, but yeah, look, I wanted
to write something and then offer that as a critique,
you know, for people to critique, and that's and that's
what's happened, and that's that's the balance that you want.
And yeah, I think it's struck that that not quite well.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So what is the general consensus amongst those who have responded.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It depends what platform you read carry to be honest. Oh, look,
I would say it's fairly even les split. You know,
there are obviously those who have commented without reading the story.
But yeah, you look at what there's there are so
many comments that I'm not going to go through them
all and and and add up the four them against right,
(03:52):
But I would say it's been evens. But roughly, I think.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
An hour is reasonable if you've bought a coffee in
a boche an hour is reasonable, and then after that
you'd want to buy something even if you didn't drink it,
or buy it for somebody who is undoubtedly outside the
cafe or on the streets begging and take it out
to them. Or I think you do have to pay
our by our.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah. Look, I think it's common sense, isn't it. I
mean often if I'm there, as I say, it's my
favorite caf and if I did stay for longer than
now or two, I usually would I'm nominally buy something
when I entered, and then you'd get hungry because there's
all these fantastic smells floating around, you know, see if
you'd buy something else. But I also think that, you know,
people attract people, and if you're sitting there in a
(04:37):
cafe and people see that it's been well attended, then
I think that tends to act as a bit of
a magnet and adds to the buzz of a cafe.
I don't think the cafe incurs any additional costs if
you're sitting there, you know, because I think to put
a time limit on it it boils it down a
(04:59):
bit too far, because you know, I didn't use any
salt and pepper. I don't have sugar in my coffee
and and use the restroom, so I saved that, you know,
saved money for toilet paper, So pay just because I
think it gets a bit ridiculous if you try, and
you know, just still it down to the little factors.
(05:21):
I think that the wider issue is that tourisms are
facing a big hurdle here in Hawk's Bay with reduced
fundings and things. And I think it's quite nice just
to shine a torch, perhaps on a practice that needs
needs shoring up.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
What about the Wi Fi? Does that cost the mixture
to have say, twenty people using it rather than one?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I don't know. I can only imagine that somebody is
on a flat monthly rate and that it wouldn't But again, yeah,
I mean to me, that comes down to the issue
of the condiments. How many did I use? And you know,
I think loyalty goes a long way too. I've been
there for years and have spent thousands of dollars there. Yeah,
(06:04):
and in defense of the place, I think that there's
a new staff on so that they probably went away
of that. But yeah, I look at it as I say,
the point of the piece was to have it critiqued
by the public, and I think I think it's certainly
done that.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Well, it's certainly given me a nice little hour of
discussion after a rather heavy discussion on energy and resources
and mining and not mining. So I thank you for that.
Mark's story hawks By Today Deputy editor, on the practice
of coffasing, going to your local cafe, having a coffee
and using it as the office. So what do you
(06:44):
think what's reasonable in what is not? He said that
there were spare tables and he would have absolutely left
if it had started to fill up. But I'm interested
to seeing your comments. You seem to be again, if
he wants to be around people, why doesn't he just
go into the office, which is five minutes down the road,
(07:04):
using cafe light, heating, power, furniture and possibly the free
Wi Fi. All right, but as he says, you know,
the lights are already on. As a punter of a cafe,
it's very annoying to see people hogging a table with
empty cups of coffee, working on their computer or scrolling
their phone and there are no tables available. Well, there
(07:26):
were tables available in this case, a punter leaving because
of the lack of a table is a loss of
revenue for the owner. This guy needs to move on
and find other places to work from. What he's saying
is irrelevant. It's not his cost, it's his blocking revenue
for the owner. There were tables there, Dennis says. Tell
him to go to a library. It's like a publican
(07:47):
telling the band to play for free. It'll enhance your reputation. No, nope,
says Dennis. No m I have people at the food
market use my wife's homemade chili powdered chili oil and
garlic powder when they have not purchased food, or grab
handfuls of chopsticks again with no purchase. What when he
(08:08):
wasn't doing that, he had bought a coffee and a briosh.
That's outrageous. I'm very sorry that happened to you. That's
that's not good. And I do like this one with
respect to visiting someone, A wise man once told me
leave while they still want you to stay.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings, listen live to
news talks at b from nine am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the carry wood of morning's podcast from
news Talks hed.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
B this hour, I would like to get your opinion
on this interesting story and a fun story wasn't a
whiney story? I thought he managed to strike the tone
very well. Mark's story, who, funnily enough, is a journalist
telling stories. Love those names where they actually relate to
(00:31):
what the person does. So Mark's story is a journal
And he went into his local eatery in Hawk's Bay,
and he is one of those who uses the cafe
as a kind of impromptu office. He can get a
decent coffee, get something to eat. He's a coffersing enthusiast,
(00:55):
someone who for a handful of hours a week, enjoys
the white noise of a cafe to working remotely. So
pops into the cafe because there's people around, there's a buzz.
You don't feel quite so alone and isolated when the
muse is not coming to you, or you're just feeling
like you haven't seen another person for a very long time,
(01:16):
so you pop into your office and off you go.
But after a change of ownership, he'd been doing this
for some time, but the cafe that he went to
recently changed hands, and after an hour or so, a
white person came up and said, can I get you
anything else? And he said no, thank you. And then
the person said, well, you'll have to move on. I'm
(01:38):
mindful of other paying customers. And Mark's story said, m sure,
but that's a very weird vibe. There are tables available.
And the white person said, well, you've only had a briosh.
He said, I did have a You've only had a coffee.
And he said, well, I did have a briosh. So
he was moved on and told that there are limits,
(02:03):
and he said, what's reason and what is not? He
asked that question, and he published the story, the story
of being turfed out after table hogging, and Mark's story
joins us. Now, very good morning to.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
You, Oh, good morning, carry good morning.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
I was just saying, you actually struck quite a good tone.
It's quite difficult to do. You didn't sound like you
were whining. It sounded like a genuine query what's reasonable,
what's not?
Speaker 1 (02:36):
You know?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And it was a kind of fun story. And more
and more people I know loads who use cafes when
they do start to feel like they're the last person
left on earth or where they do want that kind
of buzz m. Yes, is it reasonable or.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Is it not?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
What?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
What have you come to the conclusion. There's a lot
of feedback on the story.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yeah, oh well, thank you for that, because that was
what I was going for.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
You.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I didn't want to I didn't want to slam anybody.
They were a great local cafe and they're doing it tough,
like they all are. Yeah, but yeah, look, I wanted
to write something and then offer that as a critique,
you know, for people to critique, and that's and that's
what's happened, and that's that's the balance that you want.
And yeah, I think it's struck that that not quite well.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So what is the general consensus amongst those who have responded.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
It depends what platform you read carry to be honest. Oh, look,
I would say it's fairly even les split. You know,
there are obviously those who have commented without reading the story.
But yeah, you look at what there's there are so
many comments that I'm not going to go through them
all and and and add up the four them against right,
(03:52):
But I would say it's been evens. But roughly, I think.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
An hour is reasonable if you've bought a coffee in
a boche an hour is reasonable, and then after that
you'd want to buy something even if you didn't drink it,
or buy it for somebody who is undoubtedly outside the
cafe or on the streets begging and take it out
to them. Or I think you do have to pay
our by our.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Yeah. Look, I think it's common sense, isn't it. I
mean often if I'm there, as I say, it's my
favorite caf and if I did stay for longer than
now or two, I usually would I'm nominally buy something
when I entered, and then you'd get hungry because there's
all these fantastic smells floating around, you know, see if
you'd buy something else. But I also think that, you know,
people attract people, and if you're sitting there in a
(04:37):
cafe and people see that it's been well attended, then
I think that tends to act as a bit of
a magnet and adds to the buzz of a cafe.
I don't think the cafe incurs any additional costs if
you're sitting there, you know, because I think to put
a time limit on it it boils it down a
(04:59):
bit too far, because you know, I didn't use any
salt and pepper. I don't have sugar in my coffee
and and use the restroom, so I saved that, you know,
saved money for toilet paper, So pay just because I
think it gets a bit ridiculous if you try, and
you know, just still it down to the little factors.
(05:21):
I think that the wider issue is that tourisms are
facing a big hurdle here in Hawk's Bay with reduced
fundings and things. And I think it's quite nice just
to shine a torch, perhaps on a practice that needs
needs shoring up.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
What about the Wi Fi? Does that cost the mixture
to have say, twenty people using it rather than one?
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I don't know. I can only imagine that somebody is
on a flat monthly rate and that it wouldn't But again, yeah,
I mean to me, that comes down to the issue
of the condiments. How many did I use? And you know,
I think loyalty goes a long way too. I've been
there for years and have spent thousands of dollars there. Yeah,
(06:04):
and in defense of the place, I think that there's
a new staff on so that they probably went away
of that. But yeah, I look at it as I say,
the point of the piece was to have it critiqued
by the public, and I think I think it's certainly
done that.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Well, it's certainly given me a nice little hour of
discussion after a rather heavy discussion on energy and resources
and mining and not mining. So I thank you for that.
Mark's story hawks By Today Deputy editor, on the practice
of coffasing, going to your local cafe, having a coffee
and using it as the office. So what do you
(06:44):
think what's reasonable in what is not? He said that
there were spare tables and he would have absolutely left
if it had started to fill up. But I'm interested
to seeing your comments. You seem to be again, if
he wants to be around people, why doesn't he just
go into the office, which is five minutes down the road,
(07:04):
using cafe light, heating, power, furniture and possibly the free
Wi Fi. All right, but as he says, you know,
the lights are already on. As a punter of a cafe,
it's very annoying to see people hogging a table with
empty cups of coffee, working on their computer or scrolling
their phone and there are no tables available. Well, there
(07:26):
were tables available in this case, a punter leaving because
of the lack of a table is a loss of
revenue for the owner. This guy needs to move on
and find other places to work from. What he's saying
is irrelevant. It's not his cost, it's his blocking revenue
for the owner. There were tables there, Dennis says. Tell
him to go to a library. It's like a publican
(07:47):
telling the band to play for free. It'll enhance your reputation. No, nope,
says Dennis. No m I have people at the food
market use my wife's homemade chili powdered chili oil and
garlic powder when they have not purchased food, or grab
handfuls of chopsticks again with no purchase. What when he
(08:08):
wasn't doing that, he had bought a coffee and a briosh.
That's outrageous. I'm very sorry that happened to you. That's
that's not good. And I do like this one with
respect to visiting someone, A wise man once told me
leave while they still want you to stay.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings, listen live to
news talks at b from nine am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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