Something is brewing at local eateries these days, and it’s more than your regular cup of Java. Free, open Wi-Fi access is attracting tech-savvy patrons and has transformed these outlets into a loading zone for both caffeine and content.

Sanjay says if the idea of offering free Wi-Fi is to get customers to stay longer and buy more drinks or food, it is working as far as he and his friends are concerned.

Wong says Wi-Fi access at eateries keeps her busy while waiting for friends.

In between work and home, Lian says, outlets that offer Wi-Fi access are the best place to get some work done.

Coffeeshop talk is taking a different dimension with the availability of Wi-Fi. It is more dynamic now. — Low

FREE, open Wi-Fi access is being provided by a growing number of eatery operators as a service to customers and also as a means to attract more people to their outlets, especially during off-peak hours. While it is difficult to conclude if these cafes, kopitiams, fast food outlets and mamak restaurants did attract more patrons because of the Wi-Fi access points, students and office workers on the move are finding it a blessing, especially since it is free and open.

Open and free
Sanjay Boss, a student at Kolej Disted Stamford in Penang, is among those who depend on free hotspots for Internet connections. The 22-year-old likes the idea of being able to surf the Web without being charged at eateries. He does not mind spending money on a cup of coffee or iced Milo and be able to tap on the free access.

Sanjay says besides meeting up with friends over a cuppa, he now has the convenience of going online and sharing the latest news immediately with friends.

His favourite outlet is a nasi kandar restaurant near his home which began offering free, open Wi-Fi access last year. Prior to that, he frequented cybercafes.

“As a student, I’m always on a budget. So I look for places where I can maximise my time and money. At cybercafes, I had to fork out money to access the Web, but since I have a laptop, I find it more convenient just to hop over to one of the eateries, order a drink and maybe some food, and surf all I want,” says Sanjay, who finds it exciting to be able to take his laptop anywhere and stay connected with friends and college mates.

Besides the laptop, any device with built-in wireless local area network can automatically connect to the open Wi-Fi access point at the eatery.

Sanjay also points out that he and his friends like the idea that the outlet offers open access. This means not having to request for the security key every time they are at the restaurant.

If the idea of offering free Wi-Fi is to get customers to stay longer and buy more drinks or food, Sanjay says it is working as far as he and his friends are concerned.

“My friends and I sometimes spend about three hours at the eatery, surfing the Net and discussing the latest info we had picked up. The longer we surf, the more drinks we order. But even if we don’t, the waiters at the restaurant will serve us warm water throughout our stay.”

Does the eatery offer a favourable environment for surfing and maybe catching up on some work?

“Well, I must agree that it is not exactly the most comfortable place to surf the Web or catch up on some online reading. Especially during lunch or dinner time, when there are more people at the restaurant, the noise can be disturbing.

“But I have gotten used to it and will continue patronising this place and others that provide free Wi-Fi,” Sanjay says.

No idle time
Like Sanjay, David Lian, a senior account manager at a public relations firm in Kuala Lumpur, loves surfing the Internet whenever he has the time. Since he moves around a lot to meet clients, he is excited that more eateries in the city have free, open Wi-Fi access.

In between work and home, Lian says, these outlets are the best place to get some work done, if not just to catch up on some reading.

In most instances, he selects an outlet because there is Wi-Fi connection. He usually lets his mobile phone “figure out” if there is Wi-Fi access.

“Most devices can auto-configure now and that makes using Wi-Fi hotspots much easier. Usually, I stop at these outlets in between meetings or appointments to catch up on e-mail or news.

“I spend about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how long I have in between meetings. It helps me kill time productively as I feel it’s a waste of time to wait around doing nothing,” he says.

Lian usually buys a drink and that will last him the whole time he’s there.

His colleague, Vicky Wong, is another frequent patron of eateries with free, open Wi-Fi access.

“I usually go to outlets that I know provide free wireless access. I like the idea of surfing on my mobile phone or check on my work e-mail while waiting for my friends when we go out. I would still go if there’s no Wi-Fi, but of course I would prefer if there is. It keeps me busy while waiting for my friends,” she says.

Wong adds that she finds most of these outlets provide comfortable chairs, tables and the right ambience which encourage people to surf the Web for long hours.

“As for me, normally I would stay for a couple of hours to surf the Net and probably spend on a large drink and a muffin. If I’m just waiting for someone, a drink will do.”

Wi-Fi a boon to eateries

The fact that free Internet makes people linger longer at eateries is seen as a boon to business by many operators. With a growing number of people owning mobile devices with Wi-Fi capability and wanting access to information anytime, anywhere, it makes good business sense to offer free wireless access at such places.

“It’s a way to draw people in, and it’s about staying relevant,” says Baba Victor Low, who operates a kopitiam in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

His cafe seems to have all the right ingredients to attract today’s younger generation: a great Malacca Peranakan menu, comfortable dining environment and free Wi-Fi.

He says the free Wi-Fi service has attracted a different group of clients who are more technology savvy and need to be online even when having a meal. Such clients stay longer and Low values their presence in his establishment.

Low reveals that free Wi-Fi has been offered at his cafe since a year ago. The service was not part of the original business plan, but it stemmed out of his need to have Internet connection at his workplace.

“I have Wi-Fi connection at home. Then I realised that most of the time I am not there, so I set it up at the outlet.”

In the spirit of sharing the service, he extended it to clients and it is now helping his business.

To ensure the connection is not hogged by users who are not patrons, Low sets an access key on his router.

“Clients can come to me and ask for the key to the connection. A majority of them use their 3G (third-generation) phones to access while others use laptops. I also have clients who use their own connection while dining here,” he says.

Low observes that many of his clients who use the service are engaged in stock trading and blogging. Others simply browse the Internet and exchange the latest news with other patrons.

He says the “coffeeshop talk” is taking a different dimension with the availability of Wi-Fi. It is more dynamic now.

“It’s no longer just conversation over a cup of tea. People are now able to immediately view news articles, do cross-reference about related topics and even view videos of topics being discussed at their table.”

Low uses the basic Streamyx package that costs RM66, and so far there have been only praises from customers for offering free Wi-Fi.

While his food business stops at 7pm, Low’s Wi-Fi connection remains switched on 24x7.

More than espresso
The earliest food and beverage establishment in the country to offer Wi-Fi to patrons at no charge was Starbucks. In 2001, Starbucks’ complimentary Wi-Fi service started off as a pilot project at Starbucks Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, and now the service is available at all of its outlets nationwide.

Free Wi-Fi fits well with Starbucks’ Third Place concept, which is to make its outlets a comfortable place between work and home.

Starbucks is not only about espresso and cappuccino, according to Sydney Quays, director of marketing and communications, Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Co Sdn Bhd.

He says the company has always believed in providing that Third Place environment for customers, and Wi-Fi service helps to achieve that.

“Each outlet is also a place where youths and yuppies hang out to catch up with friends. In tune with their needs, Starbucks is always open to initiatives to include new technology that will bring value to customers.”

According to Quays, the company aims to constantly improve its Wi-Fi bandwidth to ensure customers can go online without any interruption.