(KRON) -- For those under 30 years old, it might be hard to believe that a perk we all take for granted was once a serious luxury, and one that would actually influence your decision on where you got your coffee. On February 10, 2010, KRON4 visited one of the first coffee shops to begin offering W i-Fi in San Francisco: Caffe Roma in North Beach. At the time, owner Anthony Azzollini explained to KRON4 “This is like a condiment. If you want sugar with your espresso, free Wi-Fi with your cappuccino.” The historic coffee shop started offering free Wi-Fi two years earlier, in 2008, helping it connect with new, young, tech-savvy customers -- and resulting in a 25% increase in afternoon business. “I saw the sign outside that said free wireless internet access. I used to go somewhere else, but I am looking for a job and I need to go somewhere where I can use the internet. So I come here and I sit for a while, I drink a cup of coffee, and stay for as long as I want,” said customer Jennifer Brooks. This Caffe Roma customer switched coffee shops for free Wi-Fi (2010) It’s unlikely that Jennifer is picking her coffee shops based on Wi-Fi anymore, or even connecting to it when she is out and about, but in 2010 the world was different. Caffe Roma closed permanently in 2017 for factors unrelated to its high-speed internet. Back in 2010, it wasn’t the only San Francisco coffee shop that decided to offer free internet. “It makes a huge difference for me. I live about five blocks down from here and I am willing to walk over here because I can get free internet here,” said Royal Ground customer Mary Voelbel. This Royal Ground customers said she walked five blocks for the free Wi-Fi (2010) While it’s hard to imagine walking five blocks for free Wi-Fi, back then it was a needle-mover. According to our report, Royal Ground originally charged for internet access, and it wasn’t a big draw. Then the shop decided to make it free, and business apparently jumped 30%. “The customers don't have to pay for it. Instead of paying for the internet, customers are buying coffee, dessert, maybe a sandwich. It makes a difference, a big difference,” said Joe Qaqish from Royal Ground. KRON4 checked, and Royal Ground still offers free Wi-Fi, but no word on whether it's still making a big difference for the business. It wasn’t just customers taking advantage of the free internet. When KRON4 converted to sending files digitally instead of using more traditional methods, reporters would stop at coffee shops to upload video back to the station instead, which proved more reliable than the first generation of MiFi devices. Back then, you could ask any KRON reporter which Bay Area coffee shops had the best Wi-Fi. Now, they upload videos directly from their iPhones. If you’re curious how much Wi-Fi cost businesses back then, our report put the price at $50 to $75 per month, on top of equipment costs. While that seems fairly cheap now, it was a significant expense for businesses at the time, but one that ultimately proved worthwhile. ...read more read less