Last December we reported that the UK’s Pret a Manger chain was launching free Wi-Fi access — now it seems they’re set to be joined by Starbucks, at just over 500 locations throughout the UK.

Though Starbucks has long offered paid Wi-Fi via T-Mobile and BT, as well as complimentary iPhone usage, this latest development is purported to open connectivity to anyone using Starbucks’ prepay cards.

Curiously, while at one time smaller indie outlets would offer free Wi-Fi connectivity to compete with the bigger players, it seems they’re now curtailing their generosity, just as the larger chains are starting to offer complimentary access.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that some stores are now covering up electrical outlets and limiting the time that customers are allowed to use a laptop — unless they’re eating or drinking something. It seems that in New York City, the recession has driven idle workers to nursing the same cup for hours at a time — behavior that’s starting to impact stores’ businesses.

Coffee shops in New York in particular — one independent chain of stores is aptly called Cafe Grumpy — seem to be leading the charge in withdrawing perks from their customers. This might be more understandable when you learn that some frugal customers are starting bringing their own food, cups and teabags.

There’s always been an unwritten social contract between web workers and store owners: Workers help make a place look busy and spend enough for owners to ignore the overhead caused by their usage of connectivity and power, while cafe owners provide a “demi-office” environment for the workers. When someone tries to take take advantage of such a delicate balance, it’s only understandable that the relationship begins to break down.

Sadly, as CNET’s Rafe Needleman illustrates, independent stores owners are likely to lose this battle as larger chains draw workers away with their drift towards free connectivity.

Personally, I believe independent owners can be more creative in supporting the untethered — perhaps providing low-cost subscription plans for access to various resources is one way to go, or arranging blocks of time or events to support web workers. These are all personal touches that are harder for larger chains to match.

Do you think the coffee shop/web worker social contract is equitable? What can be done to keep a balance?

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I mean, having a Starbucks on practically every corner in some cities is the kind of convenience that we’re all used to getting online where if one Web site or Web app isn’t exactly what we need when we need it, another is only a few mouse clicks away. A few steps to the next street corner is only slightly more strenuous than those mouse clicks. And now, we’ll have to actually walk whole blocks to get to a Starbucks that hasn’t been ripped from our streets in the name of improved profit margins for the ubiquitous coffee haven. Well, what about our profit margins as Web workers? Without those 600 Starbucks, how will we survive?

To get everyone through these tough times, I’ve come up with a 5-pronged strategy to ride out the shake-up but also to make sure that we don’t get caught back in the vortex of coffee chain market oversaturation and end up feeling the same pain. Here are my tips:

1. Diversify. Are you a one-Starbucks kind of guy or gal? You need to identify several Starbucks in your area within a reasonable distance from your home base in order to ensure that you have a backup location in case another one closes down. A Google Maps search will help you pinpoint the prime locations.

2. Act Locally. Better yet, stop by some of your locally-owned mom and pop coffee shops that actually offer free wifi versus the pricey AT&T or T-Mobile online access that many Starbucks provide. I tend to split my work time away from the home office rotating between several locally-owned establishments for my caffeine fix, free wifi, and relatively quiet workspace.

3. Visit Globally. Why not enjoy the Starbucks experience while you are on the road for business? It turns out, according to CNNmoney.com, that the company is “still opening a large number of stores in overseas markets like Western Europe, where growth is slowing down and profit margins are lower.” So you may be in luck if your job takes you to Western Europe this year.

4. Really Diversify. These days, wifi isn’t relegated to the ol’ coffee shop. After toggling between two locally-owned (and woman-owned, by the way) coffee hang outs in town, I’ve added a natural foods restaurant to the mix. Wifi is everywhere including libraries, gas stations (and truck stops if you are literally on the road driving to another town for business), even laundromats. What could be better than getting your online work done while taking care of the laundry? Talk about multi-tasking!

5. Raise Your Own Profit Margins. What’s the real bottom line here? You’ll see a lot greater profit from your efforts in Web working at the end of each year if you make your own coffee at home. You can even throw in a little bit of Tip #2 by buying coffee from local roasters. Making your own coffee daily instead of buying an overpriced cuppa joe can save you upwards of $1000 annually, and that’s if you only partake in a single cup per day. Those of you with a heavy caffeine habit could buy a small car with your profits. Maybe even a hybrid.

So you see, my five-pronged strategy for surviving the Starbucks closures could not only help save you some of your hard earned cash but could also help to save the world.

This post was somehow inspired by this one by Paul Kedrosky of Infectious Greed.

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As you may know, independent coffee shops have long offered wi-fi as an attractant for business people, road warriors, and web workers to get them in the door. For the longest time, many coffee drinkers and wi-fi seekers chose the independent houses because getting online used to cost $6-$10 an hour at Starbucks.

When asked about whether he felt the independents would lose out on business with Starbucks recent announcement, David Blumenfeld of Boingo replied, “Many patrons of the smaller coffeehouses will continue to support their local shop due to loyalty, unique surroundings versus corporate giant, community support, convenience of location, etc.,” he said. “Any customer losses may also be offset simply because there continues to be so much more demand for Wi-Fi access in general.”

I would agree with Blumenfeld. The people who go to the independents go there because it’s in the neighborhood and because it’s a part of their routine. These customers are accustomed to their local coffee houses and will continue to patronize the same coffee houses they’ve been going to for years.

The business traveler, however, is more likely to stop into Starbucks based on familiarity with the national brand and because of Starbucks ubiquitous presence nationwide.

Battling for your breakfast dollars:

Boingo and Wayport, two of the major wi-fi subscription services our readers may be familiar with, made an announcement this week that will allow Boingo subscribers to use Wayports hotspots at McDonald’s restaurants. By doing so, Boingo is adding to it’s already 100,000 locations. There are 9,000 Wayport enabled McDonald’s restaurants, as reported by Computer World.
The battle for your business at breakfast time has been increasingly interesting, namely because Starbucks and McDonald’s are in a heated battle to attract your dollars in the morning. McDonalds recently started serving gourmet coffee, prompting Starbucks to respond by serving breakfast items (but just announced they would halt breakfast sandwich services).

Now, with Starbucks card holders getting 2 hours of free wi-fi, the Boingo announcement has McDonald’s hoping business customers will stop into McDonalds for their morning cup o’ joe and a hot cup of coffee.

(Image credit: Flickr user Dan)

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Not any more, as Glen Flieshman has pointed out. T-Mobile has been dropped by Starbucks in favor of AT&T as their wi-fi provider.  So now in addition to McDonalds, AT&T subscribers can add thousands of Starbucks to the number of locations they can get online and work.

The good news is that just for having a Starbucks card, you get 2 free hours of wi-fi a day.  Presumably this means that for just by making a purchase with your Starbucks card, you get 2 free hours of net access.

Additionally, AT&T lowered the price to $4 a day for a two hours of access, compared to T-Mobile’s $6-10 per hour charge.  AT&T is going to charge $20/month for unlimited access to wi-fi, the same as T-Mobile’s rate.  If you have AT&T DSL, you receive wi-fi access for free as a part of your monthly DSL rate.

For more info, check out AT&T’s press release.

Update: As Kevin pointed out in the comments, T-Mobile wi-fi customers will still be able to get online in Starbucks, under an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile.  The details can be found in the press release mentioned above.

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So far, Starbucks’ new offering doesn’t sound too promising. Baristas are none too thrilled with the so-called “skinny” platform that means a drink with sugar-free syrup, nonfat milk, and no whipped cream. And customers may not like it either, if early reviews are any indication.

Monica Eng of the Chicago Tribune’s The Stew blog tried the new skinny mocha-flavored latte and was not impressed:

Although the drink sported a nice fluffy head of skim foam, the drink underneath was thin, weak and infused with a weird chemical flavor. The whole thing was reminiscent of something you would have gotten out of a 1980s-style coffee machine and then complained about.

Ostensibly, somewhere in the drink there is a shot of Starbucks “Signature espresso” and perhaps some real cocoa powder but you wouldn’t know it in this whisper of a drink that makes you feel like you are depriving and poisoning yourself at the same time. The big selling point is that the drink will only cost you 90 calories in a small–saving you about 100 calories a whack, Starbucks says. No thanks. Not worth the suffering to our palate.

I’m tired of lattes and mochas, so when I’m at my favorite work-away-from-home joint I go for a mug of Silver Doodle cinnamon, caramel, and chocolate-flavored coffee with a shot of half and half. I make up for the extra fat and calories in the half and half by typing really fast.

What’s your standard drink order when you’re working in a café? Or do you like to mix it up and try different things?

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