How coffee shops helped my startup (opens in new tab)

Then again, most coffeeshops don't seem don't go under just because penniless startup founders. When you lower your prices and then put out a tip jar (after attracting the cheapskates) you are just asking to go bankrupt.

Look at small bookstores back in the late 90s: "And then one day Barnes and Nobles puts couches and cafes in the stores and practically begged people to read books in their store without buying them."

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000052.html

If people can rent out airbed space, why not rent out a booth for a day or on an hourly basis. You can even stop making coffee and just put in Red Bull vending machines.