It’s nearly 14 years since Cyberia, the UK’s first internet café, was opened in Whitfield Street, London. There are now thousands of such cafés dotted across the country, with even the most remote areas featuring a web surfing service.
Despite the fact that nearly half of all UK households are now online, internet cafés continue to be popular among the public and many budding entrepreneurs are tempted by the idea of starting up in the industry.
Much has changed since Cyberia first opened its doors. With the advent of broadband, internet connections are now hundreds of times faster than they were in 1994, mostly thanks to broadband. Cafés now provide customers with everything from coffee and muffins to gaming and online learning.
The increasing number of homes connected to the net has led to speculation that the days of the internet café are numbered. However, many have learned to adapt, offering services such as wifi in addition to the more traditional PC workstations, so visitor numbers still remain high and with added creature comforts in most cafes, the industry remains robust.
Many cafés are boosted by the number of backpackers and other travellers who need to keep in touch with friends and family by email, and with gaming and other activities taking place in some, many customers continue to visit for social reasons.
Jason Deane, of Quarks (www.quarks.co.uk), a chain of internet cafés in and around London, feels there is a sustainable future for internet cafés 'for some years yet'.
“Apart from the fact we are still seeing sales grow faster and faster every year, the audience as a whole is not technically proficient and come in for very basic help.
“Many of our users have a PC at home and work and yet still use us or other cafés, simply because they are so used to using them.
“I always use this analogy – you can buy a beer and drink it at home for a lot less than you can at a pub. In theory then, all our pubs and clubs would have shut down years ago.
“They haven’t, why? Because the social element of going for a drink with friends is a bigger pull than the fact that it costs more and you have to make the effort to go out in the first place.”
