Cafes and customers in Japan are increasingly at odds over patrons who buy a single drink and then settle in for hours to study or work — a group known in Korea as "cafe studiers."
Japanese outlet Financial Field reported on the 7th that a customer who ordered one drink and worked on a laptop for about two hours was asked by staff to place an additional order. The account touched off a broader discussion about how long a cafe visit should last.
The customer said it was puzzling to be asked for another order when empty seats remained in the shop, arguing that the request was hard to understand with tables still available.
Cafe operators may see it differently. When a customer who has bought one drink occupies a seat for a long stretch, it can affect seating for later arrivals and the shop's table turnover.
Opinion online was split. Some commenters said the request was not unreasonable, asking why those who want to study do not use a library. Others argued that long stays are hard to fault, saying cafes today sell space as much as coffee.
So does a customer have to order again after two hours? There is no uniform rule in Japan. Financial Field said decisions on additional orders and limits on long stays are left largely to each shop's operating policy. Where a cafe posts notices asking for an additional order during extended stays, or limiting seating time when busy, customers generally follow those rules.
Survey data suggest young people in Japan actually spend relatively little time in cafes. In a survey of 1,000 men and women aged 15 to 30 nationwide conducted by MERY in March, the most common answer for average time spent per visit was 30 minutes to one hour, at 39.6%. Less than 30 minutes followed at 28.4%. That means 68% of all respondents leave within an hour.
With remote work and laptop-based work now routine, Japan's cafe industry is responding to long-staying customers. Some cafes in crowded areas such as Tokyo have begun capping seating time, mainly during peak hours. Others have gone the opposite way, targeting demand from workers and students by offering Wi-Fi and power outlets and allowing extended stays.
In South Korea, the debate over "cafe studiers" has recurred for years. Working or studying on a laptop in a cafe has become commonplace, but online posts about customers who leave seats empty for long periods or spread personal belongings across multiple seats have fueled arguments over what counts as acceptable use.
More recently, some operators have come to view customers who visit to work or study as a new source of demand. Rather than simply restricting long stays, these cafes are actively courting such customers with power outlets, Wi-Fi and work-friendly seating.
