Net Cafes / Lan Cafes Do You Use Them?

[MrMoonX]

Theres a reason they all closed down!!!

 

[semi-pro waster]

I don't know about your local area but for where I live the libraries have a number of basic computers for simple internet access and office type tasks so that's where I'd suspect people who don't have everyday access to home computers are more likely to go.

There are still some internet cafes around or shops with a couple of computers in as a sideline but they never seem to be very popular and I think you'll find your market to be extremely limited - maybe 5 or more realistically 10 years ago you'd have had a market but now a basic computer is comparatively cheap and capable so it's not likely to be huge numbers of people who would desire an internet cafe.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

One time I tested it and it was going at 10mb/s down!

That's faster than my home Internet.

There was this one time at band camp.....

 

[Paul. W]

There's a place called Kyoto Lounge in Manchester which is a gaming bar. I actually really like it in there.

Its not so much a LAN cafe, more of a place you could actually go for a decent drink (and game at the same time if you wanted).

And they do awesome burgers

 

[Nexus]

There are still a few around where I live, but they are on a street which has very run down shops, which mostly consist of a mini-market shop every other one, kebab shops and cafes that the local Muslim men like to congregate at after prayer.

As such, these internet Cafes look really dodgy and given that they are still going, I would think they probably serve a lot of the immigrants who come into London from abroad and likely don't have internet or a computer. I'm sure that they are probably also where most of the UK based Nigerian scammers operate, as most of them also advertise money transfers at the door.

I'm sure for anyone wanting to setup an internet cafe though that this isn't the market you want. As others have said, that ship sailed ages ago. Back to square one, make a decent cafe and have free internet and services as a bonus.

 

[Raymond Lin]

There was this one time at band camp.....

I've met her!

 

[zipp0r]

would never use a net cafe. i have internet on my mobile phone.

 

[.Sean]

If there was a proper gaming LAN cafe around here, I'd probably be there every day. ;o

 

[Theophany]

Omega Sektor pretty much sums up how any LAN cafe will do in the UK. Internet cafes are still fairly popular in peripheral EU countries (usually the poorer ones), but it seems that the ubiquity of free wifi and expansion of 3G, HSPA+ and soon 4G LTE has really negated any need for them in developed Europe.

 

[Twirlywoos]

Hey all

Thinking about started a internet cafe as my local area dose not have one and just though i wounder how many people use them pointless having them if no one know uses them?

so how many people still use them out the ocuk forums? and if you do how often?

Never used them and I have no idea why the local ones in my area are always full of Somalians though. Having said that maybe they use it for terrorist activities or it is their base to run their online phishing, dating or other scams.

 

[peige]

The internet cafe boat has been and gone, its all about free wifi and gaming at home now.

 

[stockhausen]

. . . The only market you'd be likely appeal to is tourists, and even then, with the high availability of smartphones, I can't imagine you getting much business unless you were in a very busy tourist area.

I know of a coffee shop / cafe in Ambleside that I have been visiting for a few years. They have always had a number of flat screens on the walls and keyboards and mice on a shallow shelf below. When last I was there in the summer they had removed them because they found that nobody was using their kit and that they were actually turning away paying customers because of a lack of space to put down a cup and saucer. They still offer free WiFi but are considering shutting that down because of the people who loiter about for hours on a rainy day with a single cup of coffee and some mobile device.

What you really need to consider is whether your town can support a coffee shop / cafe and whether you are capable of competing with Starbucks / Cafe Nero / etc.?

Good luck . . . you are going to need it.

 

[Feef]

There are still plenty in Edinburgh (or were 6 months ago at least) - big tourist scene, lots of foreigners without their own kit, but they all double as coffee shops and print shops, which I suspect is the more profitable side. I only ever used one when I had no working printer and needed an application form printed out.

Basically, all the reasons why straight up gaming/net cafe places don't work have already been outlined above.

 

[alexakasloth]

I use them when I run out of ink and need to print something quickly, used to do LAN gaming at one but myself and friends moved abroad, went to uni etc.