ABSTRACT
During the 1990s restaurants and coffeehouses offering Internet access sprang up around the world. The attraction was Internet access for visitors, offered in congenial settings along with food and beverages. Sometimes other services have been offered as well, as with a combination coffeehouse, Laundromat, and cybercafé in San Francisco. Typically a cybercafé offers an hourly rate for access and caters to people who find themselves without other convenient Internet access. Some establishments even offer brief tutorials for novices. Students, travelers, commuters, and others needing convenient access are likely patrons, with many businesses offering twenty-four-hour daily service. Customers name convenience as a strong draw in using cybercafés, but also report enjoying the atmosphere and other amenities.
