Back patio at The Little Prince on King George St., Photo: Janis Raisen
Janis Raisen – Can I Have an Outlet With My Coffee?
We welcome Janis as a new contributor to israelseen.
Over the last few years Israeli coffee shops have been gradually embracing the freelancers, the remote workers, and the business networkers—especially in Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv coffee shops used to have a mix of laptop users and leisurely lunch goers. Now if you enter many Tel Aviv coffee shops during the week and you don’t have your laptop with you, you are in the minority.
A variety of workspaces have been created in response to the growing number of remote workers and startups. These workspaces range in prices and definitely fill a void. There will always be a need for them. But as more of them pop up, coffee shops work harder to accommodate the caffeine-addicted, coffee shop lovers who seek delicious coffee, fresh and healthy lunch options, a cozy place to work, reliable Wi-Fi and outlets for charging their devices.
The Little Prince on King George Street, a bookstore / coffee shop, is one of those places. When you walk into The Little Prince you immediately notice the welcoming decor, and their versatile menu of healthy food. You then ask the most important questions: “Do you have good Wi-Fi and are there lots of outlets next to the tables both inside and outside?” The response is, “Of course.”
Having a place to charge your laptop has become a top priority while you drink coffee, eat lunch and become engrossed in your work. There was a time when coffee shops didn’t have any outlets, or a limited number of them could be found inside only. Most coffee shops today have great Wi-Fi, but those that want to keep up with the startup scene also provide access to outlets both indoors and outdoors.
Back patio at The Little Prince on King George St., Photo: Janis Raisen
The inspiring atmosphere that a coffee shop provides, makes it really hard to leave once you arrive. As you witness the business meetings around you, or you glance at other laptop users hard at work, you realize that you are part of something big—you are among people who are full of ideas, motivation, goals, dreams and the desire to make a difference.
Israel is a society of thinkers, inventors, dreamers, and creators. In the early days of Tel Aviv, the cafes were popular places for brainstorming, poetry writing, and discussions. Perhaps they had the right idea, and that’s why the coffee shop workplace culture in Israel seems to be so accepted here—and accommodated for—more than some other places.
I wonder which Israeli success story of tomorrow is currently developing on someone’s laptop— a laptop that sits adjacent to an espresso and a sandwich at a cozy coffee shop, and plugged into an outlet no doubt.
