Camping for the night at 24-hour cafes becomes new routine for young people
For this 27-year-old sitting and working all night in 24-hour cafes in HCMC has become a habit in the last two years.
Besides his laptop and papers, he also has a thin blanket in case it gets cold in the coffee shop.
He says the silence and cramped space in his rented room inhibits his flow of ideas. He works in the media and creativity is a crucial element for people like him.
Besides, working alone in his room makes him feel like time is standing still while he is racing to get work done.
"I go to a coffee shop when I want to be productive. The sounds of people chatting, coffee grinders, people typing, and traffic on the street reassure me that everything around me is also moving quickly".
Nam, who is still single, enjoys coffee shops also because he feels less lonely there amid all the people around him.
"Everyone else here also rushes to complete their work, which helps me forget that I'm working late at night. I no longer have a feeling of being misplaced since it feels like everyone who comes here to work is in the same boat as me".
Normally he enters the cafe at 9 p.m. and leaves at around 6 o’clock the next morning after finishing his work.
The 24-hour coffee shop model first appeared in HCMC around 2012 and became popular two years ago. These are the first choice for young Saigonese when they need to work, study or simply spend the night.
Ngo Van Thanh, manager of a cafe in District 1, says each cafe normally has four or five branches, mostly in central districts or near universities. They typically have a capacity of 40-50 guests and begin to bustle around 9 p.m though some smaller shops manage by letting customers sit on the sidewalk outside, he says.
Though guests are from a variety of backgrounds and age groups, the majority are students and office workers, he says.
"Sometimes the coffee shop becomes a place for husbands who fought with their wives to spend the night.
"On average, there are three to four customers staying the entire night".
Nguyen Thuy, 24, plonks her feet on the chair opposite in a 24-hour coffee shop in Binh Thanh District and says, "I come here almost every day to work, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends". Read More…
