Coffee Chain Apologizes for Banning Students Studying for Exams
A coffee chain has issued an apology after banning students revising for exams from one of its cafes.
Coffi Lab in Whitchurch, Cardiff, had displayed a sign indicating it was a no study zone and advised school pupils to use the library opposite for their work.
In a statement, Coffi Lab, which has since removed the restriction, explained that it had been overwhelmed by pupils spending extended periods in the cafe, often without purchasing anything and bringing food from other vendors.
"On reflection we didn't communicate this as effectively as we should have done and have already reverted to our existing laptop policy,"the statement added.
The branch, one of eight in Wales and four in England, is located near Whitchurch High School, where many pupils are preparing for GCSE and A-level exams.
A sign was placed on the coffee shop stating 'No study zone' featuring an image of a dog with a coffee cup in front of a laptop, accompanied by a narrow sign pointing to the "library."
Below the image, a paragraph read:
"We are sorry but from today pupils at local schools are no longer permitted without an adult.
Please respect our other customers and use the library opposite to study."
Tom Griffin, whose 15-year-old son was asked to leave, expressed surprise upon seeing the sign and felt that teenagers had been unfairly targeted.
"They were being polite. They were looking to buy things,"Griffin said, describing how his son had just completed a history exam and was in the cafe with friends before meeting him.
"At the moment, with the exams, they're under an awful lot of pressure. So I don't think it's unreasonable for them to go and have a cup of coffee as a group and work together."
Griffin mentioned that he offered to stay with the group, but when they attempted to sit on their own, they were asked to leave.
"I can't imagine any other group of people being asked to leave a coffee shop,"he said, adding that there would likely be outrage if elderly people or mothers with babies were asked to leave.
He has since spoken with the branch manager, who removed the sign, but Griffin emphasized that teenagers are often misunderstood.
"They are overwhelmingly polite, decent, honest, straightforward - when we talk about the community, the teenagers are a part of our community too."
In response to a social media post, the Coffi Lab page apologized, acknowledging that it had "made a mistake."
Coffi Lab stated it strives to ensure its shops are "warm and welcoming spaces" for everyone in the community.
However, the company noted the situation had placed a "significant strain" on staff and reduced capacity to "accommodate other customers comfortably."
While working with the local school, Coffi Lab introduced a "temporary measure" requiring students to be accompanied by an adult.
The shop has taken steps to explain its reasoning and apologized to those who raised concerns.
"While we welcome small groups adhering to our policy, we hope that the school may be able to support with better accommodating their needs,"the statement said.
The BBC has contacted Whitchurch High School for comment.
This incident follows a similar situation last month at a cafe in Aberystwyth, which revealed challenges with customers staying for long periods and had to ask patrons not to "hog" tables.
