A New York coffee shop has left customers furious after imposing an exorbitant charge on those who take out their laptops.
Bedford Studio in Manhattan’s West Village charges $10 a day (or $300 a year) for anyone willing to catch up on some work while sipping on its cortados or Marrakesh mints.
The cafe has been accused of ripping off its customers in a pale imitation of a posh members-only club.
TikTok user @sidnyenikole denounced the fee policy in a post that received 22,000 likes and hundreds of angry comments from New Yorkers affected by the city’s rising cost of living.
“New York as a whole is a rip-off,” wrote one. “I don’t know how people still love it.”
“I didn’t know the local coffee shop was turning into Soho House but I guess this is just a PSA that this is happening now,” said TikToker @sidnyenikole
The cafe advertises itself as the “ideal workplace,” but will charge you $10 a day.
The TikToker, who has previously posted about housing costs and her six-figure student debt, revealed all after seeing notices posted in the coffee shop outlining the rules.
“If you thought living in New York City was expensive, now we have to pay to take our laptops out to coffee shops. That’s not free anymore, that’s not a free right in our community,” he said in the video.
‘Now I totally get the whole buying thing at the cafe to sit there and do your work or whatever thing, so on top of the drink that was $9, you have to pay one of these prices to be able to use your laptop.
“I didn’t know the local coffee shop was turning into Soho House, but I guess this is just a public service announcement that this is happening now.”
The cafe boasted about its “free wifi and charging stations” in its initial Instagram posts last year. Customers told the TikToker that the cafe is already facing criticism for the surcharge.
“I came in here to get my laptop and answer an email,” one wrote. “The barista asked me ‘are you a member?’ and I said ‘coffee shop member?’
“I’m actually baffled by the idea that you don’t want people sitting in your establishment,” wrote another. “I would boycott you.”
“This is very Black Mirror,” wrote a third. “It’s scaring me.”
The coffee shop promotes itself as “the destination to meet people, enjoy coffee, be productive and be part of a community.”
‘Bedford Studio invites everyone to come in for coffee and relax, but requires a membership to work from the studio,’ he says.
But it was offering free Wi-Fi in an attempt to attract customers in its first Instagram posts last year.
On its website, the coffee shop promotes itself as “the destination to meet people, enjoy coffee, be productive and be part of a community.”
‘Bedford Studio invites everyone to come in for coffee and relaxation, but requires a membership to work from the studio as it fosters a productive environment and access to connect with new people and participate in member events dedicated to promoting wellness and professional growth,’ she says.
Dailymail.com has contacted Bedford Studio for comment.
Some felt sympathy for a small business trying to survive in a neighborhood where developers are asking $57.5 million for a condominium inside a converted parking lot.
High rents and upfront costs have contributed to less than five percent of New York City apartments being affordable to the average working person, according to a Streeteasy.com report in May.
The median asking rent rose 8.6 percent to $3,475 in the city last year, while one in four households spent more than half of their combined income on rent, according to the city’s Housing and Vacancy Survey.
“Rents in New York are also crazy for small businesses,” wrote one dejected respondent.
‘If you want to use free WiFi in public spaces, then support your local libraries.’
A former coffee shop manager added: “This is because people occupy the space for hours and only buy a couple of things. Unfortunately, in this economy, all coffee shops can’t pay the rent.”
The TikToker’s post attracted 22,000 likes and sparked anger among some followers.
Another noted: ‘Or you can just not use the WiFi while buying your expensive coffee.
‘These are all decisions you’re making to spend money.’
The post left some people stunned by the prices being charged in New York’s overheated economy.
“Whaaat?! If anyone wants to move to Texas, DM me,” one wrote.
“In other parts of the world people spend all day in coffee shops and cafes, but in America it’s all about profit,” another observed.