[devonsolomon]

On the contrary, I spoke with a local coffee shop branch owner who said that squatters are essential to keeping the space lively, popular, and “cool.” This atmosphere draws in passersby and casual visitors, who are the real source of their revenue.

My guess is that coffee shops fall into one of two categories:

1. Those in high foot traffic areas, where a no-laptop policy helps maintain turnover, or

2. Those in low foot traffic areas, where it makes sense to do everything possible to fill seats and cultivate an appealing, vibrant environment.

[dismalaf]

Also don't forget that in North America a typical retail space in a city is like 2000 sq ft, whereas in Europe it's more like 500 sq ft.