16 Old-Fashioned Internet Cafes That Have Disappeared
Many once-popular internet cafes around the world have closed due to the rise of smartphones, home internet, and mobile devices.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 5 min read
Internet cafes were important places for people to get online, especially when home internet was not common. They offered public access to the internet, often with food, printing, and other services. Over time, they disappeared as technology became cheaper and more personal.
1. Cyberia Café (London)
“Sarchi” on Wikimedia Commons
Cyberia Café opened in 1994 and was one of the first public internet cafes. It gave people access to email and web browsing at a time when home internet was rare. The café combined technology with a regular coffee shop experience. It eventually closed as personal internet access became more available in homes and schools.
2. EasyInternetcafé (Europe)
nikoretro on Wikimedia Commons
This chain was launched in 1999 and had over 80 locations across Europe. It was known for offering very low-cost internet access, especially in tourist-heavy cities. Many travelers used these cafes to send emails, check maps, and book flights. The chain closed most of its locations as mobile internet became more common and affordable.
3. @Cafe (New York City)
Joe Mabel on Wikimedia Commons
@Cafe opened in Manhattan in 1996 as one of the earliest internet cafes in the United States. It offered web access along with food, drinks, and a social space. It was especially popular among young professionals and early internet users. The café closed in 1997 due to high operating costs and rapid shifts in internet access at home and work.
4. The Binary Café (Toronto)
Chona Kasinger for Disabled And Here on Wikimedia Commons
Canada’s first internet café, The Binary Café, opened in 1994, offering internet access alongside cyberpunk art and books. Customers could browse the web and use email, which was still new for many people. It also became a meeting place for people interested in tech and digital culture. As internet service expanded in homes and schools, demand for public access declined.
5. PC bang (Seoul)
Ss이준 (lhj8396) on Wikimedia Commons
Yongsan is a well-known area in Seoul that became one of the first hubs for PC bangs in South Korea. These cafes offered high-speed internet and powerful computers for gaming and browsing. In the early 2000s, they were packed with students and gamers, especially during after-school hours. While many PC bangs still exist today, the original independent ones in areas like Yongsan have decreased as home internet and smartphones became widespread.
6. CompuCafé (Helsinki, Finland)
Mino mu on Wikimedia Commons
CompuCafé started in 1993 and added internet access by 1994. It gained attention for its robotic beer server and futuristic setup. Locals could go online, grab a drink, and explore the early web. It eventually shut down as internet access became common at home.
7. The High Tech Cafe (Dallas, USA)
Vmenkov on Wikimedia Commons
Launched in August 1994, this was the first commercial internet café in the U.S. Located at Dallas Infomart, it gave early web access to professionals and curious users. People browsed the web and sent email while having coffee. It closed as online services became more accessible.
8. Internet Café (East Village, NYC, USA)
Librariansonperustreet on Wikimedia Commons
Opened in mid-1995, this café helped introduce internet access to downtown New York. Locals and visitors used it to check email and search the web. It was one of several East Village cafés focused on digital culture. It quietly closed by the late 1990s.
9. CB1 Café (Cambridge, UK)
Keith Edkins on Wikimedia Commons
Connected to the internet in January 1995 near Cambridge University, CB1 became one of the longest-running UK cafés. It catered to students, researchers, and locals who enjoyed coffee and web access. It operated until 2015 before finally closing.
10. Backspace Café (Portland, Oregon, USA)
Another Believer on Wikimedia Commons
Located in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown, Backspace Café combined internet access with art exhibits and live music. It served a creative mix of artists, gamers, and remote workers in the early 2000s. Known for its lively events and Wi‑Fi-enabled space, it became a local hub. It closed in 2013 due to rent increases and building code issues.
11. IDT Megabite Cafe (New York City, USA)
Basher Eyre on Wikimedia Commons
This kosher internet café and sushi bar opened in 1997 in Manhattan’s Diamond District. It featured computers at tables, email access, and kosher dining options. It served Orthodox and business communities alike. It closed in 1998 after a short run.
12. SFnet Coffee Network (San Francisco, USA)
Waynegregori on Wikimedia Commons
Not a traditional café, SFnet (circa 1991) placed coin-operated terminals in local coffee shops for email and bulletin board access . It provided early public access to online communications before the World Wide Web. It formed a grassroots internet community across the Bay Area. The service faded as web browsers and home internet became popular.
13. Horseshoe Café (San Francisco, USA)
Alan Hunt on Wikimedia Commons
Located on Haight Street, this café offered basic internet access in the mid-1990s. It became a relaxed spot for locals to check email and surf casually. It blended coffee culture with early web usage. It closed after a fire in 2005.
14. The Scottish Bar (Switzerland)
Mattes on Wikimedia Commons
The Scottish Bar opened on June 27, 1995, in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, established by Pierre Hemmer as the country’s first public internet café. It blended a traditional bar atmosphere with public access to email and basic web browsing, offering locals their first taste of online connectivity. It attracted both curious customers and early internet adopters eager to explore digital communication in a social setting. As home broadband and Wi‑Fi hotspots spread in the late 1990s, the novelty faded and the bar eventually closed.
15. CyberSmith (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA)
Jungminho on Wikimedia Commons
Opened in the late 1990s near Harvard, this café mixed coffee, food, and computer use. It hosted tech meetups and had early web software installed on each station. Students and visitors came for both work and fun. It closed as home computers became more common.
16. Cybernet Café (Tokyo, Japan)
Mino mu on Wikimedia Commons
Located in Harajuku, Tokyo, this café opened in the mid-90s during Japan’s internet café boom. It offered both Macs and PCs and charged by the minute. Visitors used it for browsing, email, and studying. It closed when newer manga cafés and mobile devices took over.