Serious question, does anyone else think laptop-free coffee shops are way better for actually meeting people?
Three years ago I moved to Austin and started going to this tiny shop on Manor Road every Saturday morning, and the rule there is no laptops on weekends. At first I hated it. I wanted to post up in the corner and grind through emails with a flat white, but the owner told me straight up that the weekend crowd comes to talk, not type. So I gave it a real shot for a month, and man, it changed my view. I ended up in a 40 minute chat with a retired teacher about her tomato garden, and I met a guy who now fixes my bike for cheap. Compare that to the shop near my office where everyone has headphones in and stares at a screen for 3 hours. Nobody says a word. I get the appeal of a quiet spot to work, but I think too many places turned into silent offices with espresso. Has anyone found a shop that pulls off both, or do you just pick your spot based on the vibe you want that day?