Salt Lake City coffee shops forgo Wi-Fi in favor of community

SALT LAKE CITY — Although many people take their laptops and spend hours camping out in coffee shops, it’s not conducive to community. Therefore, some Salt Lake City coffee shops have decided not to provide their guests with an internet connection. 

“It is a growing thing. Coffee Garden moved to no Wi-Fi, and I think Three Pines Coffee on Main Street, they don’t have Wi-Fi,” said Erica O’Brien, Owner at The Rose Establishment in Salt Lake City.

But for some, it’s been an adjustment.

“People would stomp out and say they were going to fail and throw fits,” O’Brien said.

However, there are still plenty of nearby shops that do offer Wi-Fi. Also, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of people who still show up to work in a coffee shop atmosphere. Students still arrive to study and writers go to write. They just don’t use Wi-Fi. 

According to O’Brien, it leads to a sense of community in her shop. 

“There’s still so many tables available for people who want to come in and chat and connect, which is my favorite thing to do,” O’Brien said.

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