Why I Prefer Working in Coffee Shops, At Least for Now
Just recently, we witnessed social media flooded with debates on Filipinos’ coffee shop culture. Here are my honest thoughts about it.
by Marian Luisa Palo
Photos from Andrea Garcia and Bella Racelis’ YouTube Channel
November 24, 2023
Photo by Jennefer Sneddon
For some time now, we have shaped this conventional habit of utilizing coffee shops as our workplaces. No one’s ever really taken a deeper dive into why this is a thing except for bubbling takes here and there, but it has recently created a buzz. Well, it appears that this whole coffee shop ordeal is not a Western thing.
Last month, there was a viral rant by a Scottish travel vlogger, Dale Philip, about the coffee shop culture of Filipinos that garnered various reactions across social media—mostly unfavorable ones.
The vlogger was hoping to buy a drink from a famous coffee chain in SM Baguio but wasn’t able to because of the long queue and lack of vacant seats. He expressed clear disappointment, pinpointing people that were using the place as a ‘personal office'; even adding that he would ‘hate’ it if people were to flock to his own business the way Filipinos did.
The internet has rained thought pieces on this matter, but I’d also like to share a bit of mine, from a college student’s perspective.
University isn’t a 10-minute walk
As a commuter who brawls with our state of transportation, I would rather accomplish my tasks in a nearby coffee shop than waste time on the road—which already leaves me tired by the time I get home. School isn’t a few blocks away, coffee shops are. Having libraries and co-working spaces in the vicinity should truly be seen as a privilege.
When there are groupworks, since my friends and I live in different places, there’s always a convenient, staple midpoint. You guessed it, it’s a coffee shop. Thanks to coffee shops, we even get to make memories over the hours we spent working together rather than just risk it all bearing with rush hours and road rages. It’s a waste of energy!
Home isn’t exactly learning-conducive
When at home, there’s this dichotomy of feeling restlessness and restfulness that messes with your ability to think straight. It’s disorienting to juggle workload with household responsibilities and having to tiptoe to the needs of people with you. While I’m glad to help, stress hits when you’re trying to meet deadlines. On the other hand, when you know your bed is at arms reach, all you want to do is disguise procrastination as rest!
Let’s also face the sad truth: Not everyone comes home to a house they can call ‘home’ and I hope we’re more considerate of people who spend a long time in more learning-conducive environments. People I know would rather spend just to work outside than be in their own four walls.
Screenshots from Bella Racelis’ YouTube Channel
A push of productivity
Seeing others working gives you extra push to be productive. It urges an adrenaline rush trying to catch up to their pace, all while enjoying uninterrupted focus in isolation. Simultaneously, you have this mental reminder that you paid for your drink, your food, and you know that you have a set time to stay, so you get to work quickly. A pricey reminder, but it works!
Work-friendly ambiance
Most, if not all, coffee shops have this calming vibrance in their ambiance—the aesthetic, the good acoustics. People get confused saying coffee shops are noisy but, honestly, it’s the good kind of noisy that gets your brain doing its thing. The best thing is when the coffee shop has sockets, plus generosity to share their WiFi, as if they have no problem at all with sharing their space to working Filipinos who need it.
There also always are people who are actually kind enough to share a seat and be a quiet companion. Baristas and small business owners themselves are very kind and never uncourteous too. It makes me develop stronger respect for service workers and admiration for small business owners every time, and I think it is always essential to remember that you belong in an actual community with actual people trying to make ends meet too.
Nothing like a good cup of coffee
Trust me, this is not an excuse to grab coffee, but is it not a shared belief that coffee is our friend and holy grail when we’re cramped up in our work? A kick of caffeine and a sense of accomplishment always feels amazing together. It’s a bonus when your barista gets your cup right, and when they have scrumptious pastries to choose from.
I’m sure I’m speaking for a lot of fellow busy bees when I say it’s really not about ‘looking cool’ but more about the demands of our everyday realities, contrary to popular belief. Some may say it’s all about time management, but in the hustle and bustle of the modern work climate, there are days when time management morphs into an illusion.
It was heartbreaking to see fellow Filipinos turn a blind eye and side with the vlogger’s complaint. I think we have to resonate with our own plights first before the West’s and, I guess if a famous coffee chain can’t serve you, there are small coffee shops in every corner that are actually better alternatives.
It’s not denial, we have indeed shaped this habit of bringing work to the (coffee) table, but it won’t hurt to give the benefit of the doubt. There is a bigger picture to it: we lack free and accessible co-working spaces—emphasis on accessible. Until this need is addressed at a lesser price than my go-to latte, I will continue working in coffee shops.
