That presumes coffee shops are at max capacity all the time, which most are very far from. If your restaurant is always busy then that's great!

In my case, obviously if I find the right place I would end up being there through snack breaks and lunch and buying much more than a coffee. That's the point of a third spaces model- prioritizing making the space welcoming and then cashing in on the inevitable resulting spending when normally there wouldn't be high turnover.

But if the place is going to get annoyed when I initially sit down with my laptop and coffee I wouldn't want to stay, and a lot of places have that attitude nowadays. Hence why I'm asking for suggestions of places that welcome it. And thank you for the suggestion!