London Cafe Discourages Laptop Squatters with Pay-Per-Minute Policy

Are you eyeballing that corner table with the guy clutching his cold cappuccino and laptop? Or, maybe you’re the guy who sees the other the guy waiting for him and now you feel all sorts of guilty for spending the last hour surfing 4chan while clutching your cold empty cappuccino. Ziferblat, a pay-per-minute cafe, is here to quell these unfortunate scenarios.

In Russian and German (Zifferblatt), the term Ziferblat roughly translates to “clock face.” The Russian import opened it’s first UK location in London where “everything is free inside except the time you spend there.” So while the complimentary cookies and coffee may be free, patrons are charged £1.80 ($2.95) per hour, or “3P a minute.”

Guests are invited to pick up an alarm clock from the shelves upon arrival and to note their time. Since you pay by the minute, Wifi is free and there’s no time restrictions or routine password updates. Cafe visitors are even encouraged to prepare their own food in the kitchen using whatever ingredients are available.

“It’s funny to see people queueing here to wash their dishes. It’s not obligatory, but it’s appreciated. They even wash each other’s dishes,” owner Ivan Mitin told the Guardian. “It’s very social. We think of our guests as micro tenants, all sharing the same space”

Now all they need to do is add a nap corner and everything will be right in the world.

H/T The Guardian + Picthx Ziferblat