That during the pandemic lockdowns, smart working has damaged the business of bars and cafes is well known. Now the trend is to do smartworking right on the premises, however the café owners are still not happy, indeed, in some cases they have had to take drastic and unpopular measures. It took place in Paris and this makes the fact noteworthy, as the French capital is often a trailblazer for trends that, a short time later, would take hold elsewhere and all over the world. Well, the choice of most Parisian bartenders is now to ban the use of personal computers, even if only for a few minutes.

Those who work at the bar will occupy the table for an exponentially longer time than those who simply go there for a snack or a coffee. Result: Access to potential customers is denied. Even now that smart working is a practice subject to "reflux", the people who use it are still numerous. Why, then, do it in a bistro and not at home? The choice is probably motivated by the excessive costs of utilities (water, electricity and gas): a sandwich and a drink at the bar are obviously less expensive than half a day at home with light and air conditioners (or, in winter, heating) on.

Here then, the stern notice appeared at the entrance of many Parisian cafés and bistros: "Pas d'ordinateur, merci" (no computer, thank you). Some impose the ban during the time slots or on the busiest days (lunch, aperitif, weekend). There are also those, like Starbucks, who have introduced hourly rates, whereby you pay for the time you spend in the room and not for the products. A compromise, in the name of business.