Have you ever given much thought about your behavior in a coffee shop? The coffee shops of today offer so many wonderful amenities that you could easily spend the entire afternoon sipping delicious brews while surfing the web, doing work or talking with friends. So, what is the appropriate etiquette to follow in a coffee shop? Here, you'll find a few tips to help you behave respectfully and know what to expect of others while you're enjoying your time with your favorite cup of java.

Don't Freeload

The coffee shop is there to provide you a service—not to give you a free space to chill out for the day. Buy a coffee, tea or snack to enjoy while you spend time in the shop. Now, this doesn't mean that you have to get all wired trying to consume as much coffee as you can while you're sitting there—you can, but, that's up to you—just purchase at least one drink per hour that you're sitting in the shop. If you don't plan to drink or eat that much, a hefty tip can go a long way in making up for the lack of purchases.

Limit Cell Phone Conversations

This doesn't mean that you can't use your cell phone at all—just do so respectfully. Nobody really cares to hear the conversation that you're having with someone that isn't there. Keep your voice down, don't use speaker phone and keep the conversation appropriate for the setting. If you think that what you're discussing could cause anyone to feel uncomfortable, take the call outside or put it off until a later time.

Moderate Internet Use

Many coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi for their customers. Now, does that mean that you can plop down in the comfy couch in the corner and watch Netflix all afternoon—well, really it doesn't. There are multiple other customers in the shop that would like to utilize the Wi-Fi services, but if you're sucking up all of the bandwidth watching movies, you're going to slow down the connection. Try to limit the internet use to gentle browsing, short video clips and checking emails, etc.—things that won't slow the connection too much for other customers.

Think about it this way: your local coffee shop can quickly become your home away from home. When you need a time out from everyday life, you head to the coffee shop for some quiet time and a good drink and get exactly what you need.