One Coffee, Two Hours: How Long Is Too Long at a Sydney Café?

By Daniel Ng, owner of Dad and the Frog Café

You order a coffee, find a comfortable table and open your laptop. Two hours later, the cup is empty and you are still there.

Have you overstayed your welcome?

My answer depends on what is happening around you. A quiet café with plenty of space and a full café with people waiting at the door are different situations. The length of your visit is only part of the story.

As a café owner, I want people to enjoy being here. A place where everyone feels watched the moment they finish a drink would miss a large part of what makes neighbourhood cafés worth visiting.

But hospitality also means looking after the people who are waiting for a seat. Making room for them deserves consideration too.

Sydney is already having this argument

A café in Crows Nest described a sign limiting laptop use to one hour from 10am and prohibiting video meetings. It drew attention to a familiar disagreement over how much table time a purchase should provide.

There are other approaches. The Guardian covered Newtown’s O3 Space, a study café offering paid time in the space.

These are different ways of organising a venue. The important question for an owner is whether the way people use the space fits how the business pays for it.

For customers, the equally important question is whether those expectations are clear before they settle in.

An empty table and a full room change the equation

Imagine two visits. These are hypothetical examples, not incidents from our café.

On a quiet weekday, someone orders a coffee and works for two hours at a small table. There are several suitable tables available throughout the visit. Their presence brings a sale and some life to the room. There is no reason to assume they have displaced another customer.

Now imagine that visit during a busy brunch service. Every suitable table is occupied and another party wants to sit down. The person has finished their coffee but plans to continue working for another hour.

In the second situation, keeping the table occupied may prevent another sale. It also means somebody else cannot enjoy the café.

That distinction matters. A long visit does not automatically cost a business a full table of breakfast orders. The lost opportunity only becomes real when there is demand the café cannot otherwise accommodate.

Even then, the potential bill is revenue, not profit. Serving another table brings ingredient costs and work of its own. Owners need to understand the economics accurately rather than assign an inflated dollar figure to every lingering guest.

Buying a coffee should still feel like a welcome purchase

I would not want someone ordering one coffee to feel like a second-class customer.

Some people have limited time, limited appetite or a limited budget. A simple coffee visit can be an important part of their day. They deserve a proper welcome and attentive service.

There is also value in a relationship that develops over time. A person who spends little on one visit may return regularly, bring friends or recommend the café. We should be careful about judging someone’s entire value by one receipt.

But a regular relationship still involves consideration. If a café is full and you have finished, being mindful of the next person is part of sharing the space.

For me, the issue is less about whether you ordered enough to deserve respect. Everyone deserves respect. It is about how a limited number of tables can work fairly for the people who want to use them.

Another coffee does not always solve the problem

Ordering again is a thoughtful response when you are staying longer. It contributes to the business and shows you understand that the space has a cost.

It does not necessarily guarantee unlimited time, especially if a venue has explained a seating limit or needs the table for a booking.

Nor should customers feel obliged to keep buying drinks simply to avoid an awkward conversation. If you need somewhere to work for a few hours, ask whether that suits the venue and the time of day. A clear answer is better for everyone than guessing.

The size of the table matters too. One person using a large table can restrict the room differently from someone at a single seat. Letting staff guide seating can help them accommodate individuals, couples and groups without making any guest feel less important.

Café owners have responsibilities here too

If a business needs time limits, those limits should be explained before the customer orders. A sign at the counter, a booking note or a friendly explanation when seating someone can prevent disappointment later.

I also think a time limit has to allow for the experience the café is selling. People choosing a relaxed brunch in Surry Hills should have enough time to order, eat and enjoy their visit. If service runs late, the customer should not bear the entire consequence of that delay.

For other owners, I would look at actual demand before introducing a blanket rule. Are guests being turned away? At what times? Is the problem long stays, unsuitable table allocation, slow service or tables left uncleared?

Those issues call for different responses. Rushing guests will not repair a poorly organised service.

Staff also need clear guidance and support. Leaving a team member to invent the rule at the table creates avoidable tension. A calm explanation and reasonable notice are part of good hospitality, even when the message is that a table is needed.

The etiquette I would encourage

If you are planning an extended visit to any café, ask when you arrive. A room that looks quiet may have bookings due shortly, and staff can explain what will work.

Use the space you need and keep bags off spare seats when they are required. Ask before moving furniture or plugging in equipment. Avoid speakerphone calls and meetings that make neighbouring tables part of your working day.

Most of all, notice when the room changes. You may have arrived during a quiet patch and found yourself in the middle of lunch service an hour later.

These are general courtesies, not a new laptop policy for Dad and the Frog. Different venues have different arrangements, so check with the team rather than assuming the same rule applies everywhere.

So, is two hours too long?

Sometimes. Sometimes it is perfectly reasonable.

A stopwatch alone cannot tell you whether a visit works. Available space, demand, what the venue has communicated and how you use the table all matter.

As the owner of a café in Surry Hills, I think the best outcome is a guest who feels welcome and understands the setting. That takes consideration from customers and clear, respectful communication from us.

Whether you are heading out for breakfast in Surry Hills, meeting a friend over coffee or taking a break for lunch, you should be able to enjoy the visit without feeling hurried. When others are waiting and you have finished, making space for them is a thoughtful way to finish it.

Where would you draw the line: a fixed time limit, or flexibility depending on how busy the café is?

Visit Dad and the Frog Café at 96 Fitzroy Street. Explore our breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, or book a table for your next catch-up.

Dan