20+ Things to Consider When Choosing a Coffee Shop to Work Remotely and Stay Productive

Who visits the café the most?

Are they well-behaved college students studying with their iPads? Are they networking groups treating the coffee shop like their conference room? Or is it a mix of teens, remote workers, and parents with their iPad-toting kids?

Think about how noisy and distracting the café could be. This will help you decide if the coffee shop is suitable for the tasks you need to finish. It also shows whether it’s the right place to work.

They can make a big difference. It’s not just about the extra noise and distractions.

In my town, going to a coffee shop during busy times often means you can’t get the spot you want for work. Sometimes every seat is full, and you have to wait for someone to leave before you can sit and start working. I’ve experienced that before.

And to stay productive, I had to work on my phone while waiting in the takeaway seating area. You wouldn’t like that.

Depending on your town, there are days when coffee shops get very crowded. You might want to avoid working there on those days.

In my case, it happens on weekends. Many families head to the malls and spend time in the coffee shops inside them. Some even bring babies, which makes the place even noisier.

That’s why I choose coffee shops near schools on weekends, since only a few students are around.

Coffee shops usually don’t have time limits. But if you plan to work there all day, it’s better to choose a quieter or lesser-known spot.

This way, you support newer shops and give busier ones the chance to serve more customers.

If you do stay for hours in a busier coffee shop, try to order more than just a coffee. Grab a pastry or other items to show courtesy and support the shop’s business.

For me, the ideal coffee shop is just a couple of blocks away or even closer.

If you have one near your home, choose that. There’s no need to drive or commute. It saves both money and time, and you’ll have more hours to finish your tasks. Walking there is also good for your health.

In my case, I have a few coffee shops within walking distance, but I don’t work from them.

One has a dining area that’s too small, which makes it hard to focus. The other is larger with enough space, but many of my relatives go there. I prefer to stay unnoticed while working. If my relatives see me, they might come over to chat, which distracts me from my tasks.

Let’s say there’s no coffee shop within walking distance from your home. In that case, you might look at the ones you can reach by public transport.

Before you go, make sure the coffee shop is easy to get to. You want to save your energy for work, not waste it on extra transfers during the commute.

In my case, I first choose coffee shops that are only one ride from home. This saves me time because I don’t have to wait for transfers between vehicles.

Let’s say you find a coffee shop that takes one bus ride.

Before you go, check the traffic in your area. Heavy traffic can make a big difference in how much time you save or lose. A shop just 2 km away can take 30 minutes to reach when the roads are full of cars.

Imagine all the valuable time you could have spent finishing your tasks. This happened to me often before, and I always wished I had used that time better.

I don’t use my car when working from coffee shops. It’s cheaper and more convenient to take public transport.

I could just step out of the house. Then catch the bus or train. Then enjoy the ride. And then take a pleasant stroll to the coffee shop where I want to work!

But for people who need to drive, parking becomes important. A coffee shop with limited parking can be a hassle. You might arrive and find no space left, forcing you to leave and look for another spot.

This wastes time and gas, and it costs more money. Nobody wants that!

If you’re driving, here’s my tip: choose the coffee shop inside a mall. Malls have more parking spaces. And that solves the parking problem and saves you the trouble of searching for a spot.

I choose to work from coffee shops in the mall for one reason: there are plenty of options. If the first shop is full or closed, I can simply walk to another nearby.

This way, I don’t waste time and effort searching for a different coffee shop that’s far from the one I first picked. Yeah. There you go, that’s another important tip!

Depending on the tasks I need to do, I sometimes don’t mind if coffee shops are near or far.

For example, when I need to write, I choose shops outside the city that are closer to nature. Coffee shops with natural views make me feel more creative and productive. I can look at the trees and shake off writer’s block right away.

If you’re a creative too, or even if you’re not, you can try this technique. I’m sure it will help you be more productive. Do it instead of scrolling on social media and pretending it’s a break to regain focus.

Most coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi, but I always bring my personal hotspot in case theirs fails. I make sure to have it with me when my tasks need a strong and reliable internet connection.

In those cases, I choose coffee shops in the city center. They usually have better cellular coverage, and that makes my hotspot more reliable. It also keeps the connection consistent.

This way, I can stay connected without worrying about interruptions while I work.

If I want to push myself to be productive, I go to a high-end coffee shop. It’s cozier there, which helps me focus.

The pricey coffee also motivates me to get more done. How? Like I mentioned earlier, I treat coffee as an investment. If I spend more money on it, I feel more driven to complete my tasks.

It’s a mindset thing, somehow.

Is it just me, or does the staff’s friendliness make working from a coffee shop better?

The greetings when you walk in. The smiles when you place your order. The help with cleaning the table. Each of these gestures makes you feel welcome.

They also create the sense that you can stay as long as you want, enjoy your coffee, and focus on your work.

Did you know clutter affects productivity?

The messier and less appealing a place is, the harder it is to get work done. Clutter pulls your attention and breaks your focus.

As an OC person, I notice this in my daily routine. I struggle to finish tasks if my surroundings are not clean or organized. This is why I prefer coffee shops that are tidy, well-designed, and orderly.

I choose places where the staff clean tables often and make sure the space stays neat.

While you can bring your own personal hotspot for internet, free Wi-Fi is a big plus.

It can save you a lot of money, especially if your tasks involve large data transfers. Uploading high-quality photos and videos can eat up gigabytes of data. Downloading them does the same, and it can happen in just minutes on 5G.

Imagine how much that could cost if you used your personal hotspot. The data alone might cost as much as your coffee. So if there’s free Wi-Fi, it’s almost like getting your coffee for free!

Since I started using an iPad as my main tool for content creation, I rarely look for coffee shops with AC outlets. But when I was still using my laptop, it was my top priority for a couple of reasons.

First, I need my laptop to last for hours until I complete my tasks. Second, I do not want to worry about my laptop’s battery running out. When I do, I cannot focus on what matters the most: the tasks I need to complete.

If there are basic things you need to be productive in a coffee shop, they are good chairs and tables. Without them, it’s hard to focus on your tasks.

Like, good luck concentrating with a wobbly table or a hard chair that causes back pain! It’s impossible.

So, when you choose a coffee shop, always consider them.

Above all, they help you maintain healthy posture and prevent long-term body pain.

For this reason, I always choose coffee shops with communal or co-working tables. These tables come with chairs made for people who work for hours like me.

If you want to work from small coffee shops, one thing to keep in mind is the availability of restrooms. This becomes especially important if you plan to stay for hours.

Other coffee shops, though, have restrooms, but you may need to leave the shop. Then walk a few minutes to a shared facility.

In that case, I prefer to go to another coffee shop with its own restroom for safety and peace of mind.

I don’t feel comfortable leaving my belongings unattended. Even in places that seem safe, I won’t take the risk.

If someone stole my things, I’d lose not only money. I would also lose time. I’d have to change passwords, replace tools, and set everything up again. I want to avoid that.

A comfortable temperature makes a big difference for productivity.

That’s been true for me from the start. If I’m sweating or if my hands go numb from the cold, I can’t get any work done. I’m sure it’s the same for you. When you choose a coffee shop, pick one with proper air conditioning.

That said, bring a jacket or sweater in case your seat is right under the cold air.

The size of a coffee shop usually doesn’t matter.

But if you want to avoid excessive noise, choose one with high ceilings and more open space.

In a small, cramped coffee shop, sounds carry and bounce around. When other customers laugh out loud, the noise can become overwhelming. If the barista plays music at high volume, distractions can get out of hand. Focusing and getting work done becomes much harder.

Bringing expensive tools with you?

A 2,000-dollar MacBook? A 500-dollar mechanical keyboard? And you need to use the restroom but worry someone might steal them if you leave them on the table? Coffee shops with security cameras can offer some peace of mind.

That said, I don’t recommend bringing very expensive gear. If possible, choose the cheapest tool that still works for you. Bring that when working in public spaces like coffee shops.

When the weather is nice, a coffee shop with outdoor seating offers a big advantage. For creatives like me, wide open views can spark inspiration. Watching people, nature, and movement around you often brings new ideas and perspectives.

That said, I don’t fully recommend outdoor seating. You may need to set your laptop or iPad screen to full brightness, which can drain the battery quickly.