NORMAL — One afternoon last week, Brian Rincker typed away on his laptop computer while sitting in The Coffeehouse and Deli in uptown Normal.
Rincker, of Plainfield, is a consultant for an information technology company and can work just about anywhere. So, twice a week he looks for a place in the Twin Cities that offers free Wi-Fi so he can set up his computer and do his job.
Rincker drives his wife, a professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, to work because she is expecting a baby nearly any day.
“I try to do a rotation so I’m not always at one place,” Rincker said. “My wife and I are Wi-Fi nuts.”
The Coffeehouse, at 114 N. Beaufort St., offers free Wi-Fi, or wireless Internet connection, so customers can bring in their laptops and get a little work done, or just surf the Internet.
The coffee shop is among a number of Twin City businesses that offer the service as a convenience to their customers. In the coming years, the town of Normal and the city of Bloomington hope to join a growing number of Illinois communities that offer free Wi-Fi in their central business districts.
Kim Thompson, owner of Elroy’s at 102 W. Washington St. in Bloomington, said having free Wi-Fi has not necessarily brought in more people to her downtown restaurant, but it is another service she can offer her customers.
When Thompson brought in a new jukebox that can play songs off a Web site, she had the opportunity to add Wi-Fi. Because it’s included in her Verizon bill, Thompson said she’s not sure how much she pays to offer the service.
“In the grand scheme of things, it is well worth it to offer it to my customers,” she said.
On a typical weekend this fall and winter, it’s been common to see a few tables of people watching a big game with a laptop open so they could check their fantasy football statistics, said Thompson, adding she often sees people coming in for lunch and bringing a little work with them.
“They can be in an enjoyable atmosphere and still get their work done and be productive,” she said.
Students seem to be among the primary users of the free Wi-Fi at T.C. Buzz Coffee Co., said employee Drew Shaw.
During his shifts at the coffeehouse at 2130 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington, Shaw sees a lot of college and high school students coming in to get a coffee drink, do their homework or just have some fun.
“We see a few gamers come in and play online games,” Shaw said. “But no doubt about it, it is great for our customers and it definitely gets used.”
--M.K. Guetersloh--
mkguetersloh@pantagraph.com
