Are coffee shop/cafteria staff in their right to ask customers to leave?

[Flagg]

I'm not sure how much of a big deal this really is, but this happened to me yesterday.

So I ordered a coffee, bought a newspaper, sat down and had a pre-workout shake before my gym session yesterday. So 25 minutes in, i've finished my shake, drank my coffee and was just happily reading the paper waiting for the time to pass when I was asked if I could leave because it was busy.

Now the waitress did seem kinda uncomfortable asking this so im not blaming her and I wasn't even angry and I decided to get up and go as I was going to be leaving in 5 minutes anyway.

Im just curious as to who has more rights here. Them or me. I assume if I went ahead and ordered another coffee or purchase they could do nothing, on the otherhand because I had previously ordered something not twenty to twentyfive minutes ago, does that give me the right to stay as long as I want?

And my final note, why can't people simply sit at another table with strangers! hahaaha, its such an English thing that to even contemplate sitting at a table with *gasp* a stranger is nigh on impossible.

[**TOP**]

Illegal? Highly doubt it,bad for business well yeah,you probably wont be going back there right! As far as who has more rights a place of business has the power to ask you to leave but like i said it was a stupid move on there behalf,unless you arent telling the whole story????

[zimmy]

25 minutes of taking up space and you spent like 3 bucs? Yah...I'd ask you to leave too if I was busy. Sounds like those douche bags who sit at resturants during busy times doing jaw jacking at a table after they eat when there are no tables free.

[Flagg]

@Topherhinton, nah that's pretty much the story, nothing left out. Like I said it's not too big a deal and I wasn't being some dickhead, I was literally lost in the newspaper articles I was reading.

@Zimmy, I was on my own and I like to think I wasn't being a D-Bag, like I said I was simply engrossed in the newspaper and got tunnel vision. The waitress was polite about it and I left with no fuss or muss. But it was busy when I looked up and around me in all fairness. However I would argue that the table I had, had space for four other people...I was hardly consuming that much space.

[lotsoftime]

Bad customer service but if you refuse you are Loitering on their property and/ or trespassing.

There's prolly a better coffee shop arround the corner anyway...
Their loss...

[CMPD213]

At panera bread there are signs on the signs and when you log onto their Internet it says "during our busy hours *the it lists times* we'd like you to keep your stay to only 30 minutes, sorry for any inconvience"...

I don't think it's wrong because there are some jerkoffs that will stay on the internet for hours at a time, they will ask a single person to leave before a group of people

[*El Diablo*]

Its because u where dressed like a Hobo, and hobo's do that, they have 1 cup of coffee and then take up furniture.... lmfao!... Just kidding

I would have made a scene coz im a c*nt.

[Flagg]

Its because u where dressed like a Hobo, and hobo's do that, they have 1 cup of coffee and then take up furniture.... lmfao!... Just kidding

I would have made a scene coz im a c*nt.

Haha, I don't dress like a stereotypical student that stinks of pot noodles and B.O.! Maybe i'll take a whole bunch of newspapers next time, stretch out on the couch and cover myself completely slurping my coffee underneath.

[*El Diablo*]

Haha, I don't dress like a stereotypical student that stinks of pot noodles and B.O.! Maybe i'll take a whole bunch of newspapers next time, stretch out on the couch and cover myself completely slurping my coffee underneath.

LOL, was just kidding mate, I think all restaurants have a sign saying "Right of admission reserved" , i just think its bloody dam pathetic for them asking someone to leave anyhow, F*ck, as u say, if someone asks if they can join me i wouldnt have a problem...

[jfalco]

Pretty wierd if you ask me. 25 minutes is not that long to enjoy a hot coffee. I feel bad for the poor waitress they sent over to kick you out. Sitting in a coffee shop and reading the paper is pretty normal.

[calgarian]

pretty wierd if you ask me. 25 minutes is not that long to enjoy a hot coffee. I feel bad for the poor waitress they sent over to kick you out. Sitting in a coffee shop and reading the paper is pretty normal.

x2.....

[DSM4Life]

I'm not sure how much of a big deal this really is, but this happened to me yesterday.

So I ordered a coffee, bought a newspaper, sat down and had a pre-workout shake before my gym session yesterday. So 25 minutes in, i've finished my shake, drank my coffee and was just happily reading the paper waiting for the time to pass when I was asked if I could leave because it was busy.

Now the waitress did seem kinda uncomfortable asking this so im not blaming her and I wasn't even angry and I decided to get up and go as I was going to be leaving in 5 minutes anyway.

Im just curious as to who has more rights here. Them or me. I assume if I went ahead and ordered another coffee or purchase they could do nothing, on the otherhand because I had previously ordered something not twenty to twentyfive minutes ago, does that give me the right to stay as long as I want?

And my final note, why can't people simply sit at another table with strangers! hahaaha, its such an English thing that to even contemplate sitting at a table with *gasp* a stranger is nigh on impossible.

Do they have the right to ask you to leave ? No.
You purchased something so you are now a customer. You could have just said no and stayed there. What are they going to do call the police?

I see people in starbucks on their laptops for what seems like hours.

[Indymuscleguy]

Do they have the right to ask you to leave ? No.
You purchased something so you are now a customer. You could have just said no and stayed there. What are they going to do call the police?

I see people in starbucks on their laptops for what seems like hours.

X's 2

[chuckt12345]

Do they have the right to ask you to leave? YES
they dont have the right to tell you to leave
Either way its a terrible business practice to make a customer leave.

[t-gunz]

i agree with dsm. if it's closing time it's different. but in your case you had a right to stay there. by the sounds of the girl asking you to move obviously her boss was chicken to say and got her to do it

[Nooomoto]

I've spent a couple hours on several occasions reading in coffee shops and have never been asked to leave. But, here there is a Starbucks every 38'...so I guess space isn't at a premium.

[RuhlFreak55]

sounds like a load of bull honky to me

[dangerous dan]

i sit in a cafe nearly everyday before work for atleat half hour, somtimes an hour.

bad service, simple as. i would have told her to f*ck and go get a real job

[chicmagnet]

They should have said buy something else or p!ss off! Either way not good for return custom.

[gixxerboy1]

i agree with dsm. if it's closing time it's different. but in your case you had a right to stay there. by the sounds of the girl asking you to move obviously her boss was chicken to say and got her to do it

a store is private property. They have the right to tell you to leave anytime they want. Its not good service and they will mostly likely loose customers. But they can do what they want.