There’s this notion of time cafés which is spreading far and wide. “Pay for how much you stay, not how much you eat”, they say.

While all-you-can-eats are a bargain, time cafés not only make you cram yourself with food, but make it a competition for the fastest time to do so. This is no good, as food waste is a big problem.

Time cafés are also the worst place for family reunions or days out. Instead of a long day drinking tea with crumpets, you get fewer precious moments with these valuable people. (The best place for long family days is home.)

Why do people go to time cafés?