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KSL Newsradio's Sarah Jane reportingThe non-office is the new office.
Colby Meyer hangs out at the Salt Lake Roasting Company for more than just the coffee. He runs his business there.
"I was painting this morning and I got fed up, so I came here to use the Internet and research other artists," he said.
Meyer, a self-described struggling artist who earns his bread on golf course paintings says the coffee house is the perfect place for someone like him. "My business consists of paint, canvas, a printer, and a computer," he said. "It's really all I need."
And that means Meyer can talk to clients anywhere. He's not alone. Over 30 million Americans work outside the office, mostly in cafes and delis. Salt Lake Roasting Company barista Andrea Jackson says most of the people she runs into are teleworkers.
"It's the majority of our customers," she said
At least hopefully they're customers. Sometimes they just show up, set up shop, and not spend a dime. Jackson says it's part of the unwritten etiquette, "We offer the service for our customers," she said.
Meyer thought it was just a given. "It's like going into the convenience store and not paying for something," he said.
Nostalgia barista Katherine Webb agrees, but she says more important is letting the teleworkers be. "Don't sit close to them, don't get in their space, so they have room to do their thing," she said.
The neat thing is that more companies are getting on the board here. According to a USA Today survey, even the federal government would like to see a whole quarter of its workforce telecommuting.
