To see what Highland Coffees owner Clarke Cadzow had to say about Wi-Fi, click here.Quiet chatter, the inviting smell of roasting coffee and students’ faces lit by the glow of laptops are all things sure to be found in one of the many coffee shops on or around college campuses. But with many coffee shops offering free wireless Internet access, businesses could be suffering from lingering students who log on but never check out.The coffee shop atmosphere appeals to many University students as an ideal place to camp out and study. Erin Douget, English sophomore, said she enjoys both having people around and the “organized chaos” that goes on in a coffee shop. But customers sitting inside a cafe and using the Internet without buying anything has become a problem for coffee shop owners. Some shops in larger areas like New York City have begun to reevaluate their Wi-Fi policies, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. One Baton Rouge establishment found a unique way to deal with customers who linger — by charging for coffee by the minute. Insomkneeacks, located on Florida Boulevard, prices its coffee based on how much time a customer spends drinking it. Patrons can buy coffee by the half hour, hour, evening, day, week, month or year. “If you want a half hour’s worth of coffee, you pay when you come in, and a half hour later, your time expires,” said Peter Excho, owner of Insomkneeacks. “The funny thing is, people go, ‘How much time is left in my half hour?’ And they try to drink a lot before time runs out.”A half hour of coffee costs $2. One day is $8, and one year runs for $1,942. That may seem pricy, but customers can actually save almost a grand, he said. At the price of $8 per day, one year would cost $2,920, so buying by the year one saves $978. Excho says his shop is still feeling the recession despite the innovative pricing system at Insomkneeacks. Lately, most of the profits come from the tattoo parlor in the building.”The coffee side has been eerily quiet,” Excho said. “People say we are too far away from [LSU]. We would be closed already if we relied only on coffee. Tattoo business is how we pay the bills.”Other Baton Rouge coffee shops haven’t resorted to timed pricing, but cafes like Highland Coffees still feel the effects of the problem. Clarke Cadzow, owner of Highland Coffees, said the issue seems to be people forgetting that a coffee shop is also a business.”If you go inside and enjoy a space, you should show etiquette and buy something,” Cadzow said.Since Highland Coffees began offering free wireless service about five years ago, laptops have become a common sight. Cadzow said approximately 75 percent of customers use the Internet at the shop.Cadzow said he is pleased when people choose to visit his shop, but is peeved by customers who don’t buy anything or bring in outside products. He said about 5 percent of customers he sees at the shop don’t make a purchase.Regular customers typically are not the problem. Douget, who frequents Highland, says she always buys something and thinks it is important to do so.”There’s free Wi-Fi, but it’s still someone’s business,” Douget said. “[Not buying anything] is kind of stealing. It’s not fair to the business owner.”Cadzow said the affordable prices and casual environment make coffee shops an ideal place for college students. “All people are welcome,” he said. “They can pay $2 and stay as long as they want.” Some establishments in Baton Rouge charge for Internet access. Starbucks, for example, charges $3.99 for two consecutive hours of Internet use. Usage time is limited “to make our stores welcome places for all customers,” according to the Starbucks Web site.Cadzow says charging for Internet access or limiting time of use is not something he wants to do. His goal is to create an accommodating environment  — something he doesn’t want to spoil by imposing restrictions or posting signs in his shop. “There’s not a sign on the wall that says, ‘You can’t use the Internet if you don’t buy something,'” Cadzow said. “Some things are left to common courtesy. Businesses can only stay in place if you buy something.” People who come into the shop without buying anything have been a problem for a long time, Cadzow said, but he has seen “a definite increase” since he began offering Wi-Fi. Cadzow has never kicked anyone out of his shop for not buying something or bringing in outside products and said he never intends to. He also has no plans to start charging for Internet access. But he said the problem must be monitored, and he is always considering a possible solution.”You can’t ignore the issue,” he said.—-Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]