Guides
How to open an anticafe: space, rates, time tracking
In an anticafe guests pay for time — pricing and tracking are the core. Atmosphere matters at opening, but wrong rates and paper logs erode revenue fast.
Format and vibe
Board games, console corner, work desks, books — pick an audience. Quiet study vs loud play zones help.
Location
Near campus and metro; upper floors OK if lift and fire exits work.
Furniture and gear
Comfortable seats, power outlets, Wi‑Fi; small pantry for snacks.
Minute, hour, stop-check
Per minute for short visits; hourly for simplicity; stop-check caps spend for long stays — rules belong in software.
- Per minute
- Hourly
- Stop-check cap
- Student / daytime
Snacks
If tea and cookies are included, split variable cost per guest-hour — see anticafe-rent-cost-calculation guide.
Software from day one
Manual timers drift. Heselo anticafe from 19 USD/month — time, rates, shift; /ru/solutions/antikafe/.
30-day checklist
Publish rates, open every guest in system, weekly guest-hours, social profiles, day-30 rate tweak.
- Visible rate board
- Daily shift close
- Log quiet hours
- Weekly snack stocktake