Coffee shop etiquette

[boo2]

It depends how long the queue is really. If it’s short and we look like we will get served quickly one of us will go and get a seat. If the queue is long I don’t think it’s fair to sit in a seat the could be used by someone else so we wait until we are either picking cakes or sandwiches and then consider looking for a seat.
It irritates me if I have a tray full of food and nowhere to sit and lots of people sitting with no food or drink.

[djewkes]

I wouldn’t join a 10 long queue, with only 1 free table unless they were all the same family! I’d go elsewhere

[Fluffypenguin]

Originally Posted by buryboy

For those of you saying A , can I ask a couple of questions please ?

If you enter the shop and there are ten in the queue , but you spy one unused table , do you go and get that table ?

If yes , are you doing that because you are assuming all those in the queue already have a table for their group , and hence no-one ahead of you will be in that situation you don’t want of getting your stuff and finding no free table ?

Or is it because ‘ you snooze you lose ‘ and hard luck in anyone in front of you who hasn’t taken a table ?

And alternatively if you walk in the shop and all tables are taken , do you just automatically go to the next coffee shop , or do you join the queue in the hope one becomes free ? Or does it depend on how ‘ over-full’ it seems , bearing in mind many people sat down making it appear full actually haven’t got their stuff yet ?

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Definitely not a snooze you lose situation, although I picked A, I’m not a selfish person, I just believe it’s the most sensible option.

I’ve never walked in anywhere and had more than maybe four people in front of me, but I’d just presume that they either had tables already (as that’s what I view to be the easiest option) or they are taking away and don’t need a table.

I’m quite a small person, I’m not very strong and that walk from the counter to the table with the drinks and cakes fills me with dread, the tray is so heavy, I can’t think of anything worse than wandering around and around trying to find a table, I’d probably drop it or trip.

Plus as I said before, if I’m with my mum, which I usually am, then she usually needs to get sat down because of her arthritis. So if it seemed overly busy then yes we would go somewhere else, I wouldn’t risk buying things when we can’t sit down.

[Gill H]

Another option of course - go to local independent places where they are more likely to bring your coffee to your seat!

[Scaramouche]

Originally Posted by buryboy

For those of you saying A , can I ask a couple of questions please ?

If you enter the shop and there are ten in the queue , but you spy one unused table , do you go and get that table ?

If yes , are you doing that because you are assuming all those in the queue already have a table for their group , and hence no-one ahead of you will be in that situation you don’t want of getting your stuff and finding no free table ?

Or is it because ‘ you snooze you lose ‘ and hard luck in anyone in front of you who hasn’t taken a table ?

And alternatively if you walk in the shop and all tables are taken , do you just automatically go to the next coffee shop , or do you join the queue in the hope one becomes free ? Or does it depend on how ‘ over-full’ it seems , bearing in mind many people sat down making it appear full actually haven’t got their stuff yet ?

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I would assume everyone else has done the same. I’ve never seen it cause an issue here to be honest.

We don’t stay if it’s full, we just leave if it looks like no one is finishing up.

[sky13]

I also cannot remember the last time I joined a queue in a coffee place that had 10 people in it! At most it will have around 5-6 people, if it has more I'm going to another coffee place (there are so many to choose from).

Also, at the coffee places I frequent it seems that most people take away rather than dining in?