"Offering free WiFi Internet access is keeping our customers in our stores longer - primarily during off-peak hours - and bringing them back more often"

Schaich,CEO, Panera Bread bakery-café (1170 locations)

" WiFi helps attract customers after peak morning hours, and those customers tend to be “high-income” who come more often and stay longer.”

Lovina McMurchy, Director Starbucks Interactive

There was a fear "that if public Wi-Fi was free, you'd fill your place up with 'campers,' referring to patrons who linger all day without buying anything. But that didn't happen after Ladro's 12 Seattle area cafes switched to free Wi-Fi . " " Nowadays we don't even care if you sit in the parking lot and use it."

Jack Kelley, President Caffe Ladro Seattle

“WiFi results in an additional 15,000 visits per restaurant per year”

John Wooley, chairman & CEO Schlotsky’s Deli Chain (30 Locations)

“71 per cent of all Canadian wireless Internet users - and 81 per cent between ages 18 and 34 – say they are likely or somewhat likely to use wireless Internet in 2006 at coffee shops and other locations where WiFi hotspots are available.”

Ipsos Reid

“Of the estimated 150 million laptops,14 million PDAs, and other emerging WiFi devices sold per year for the last few years most include the WiFi feature”

Wikipedia article Jan 2008