Coworking is now a global phenomenon, and it’s booming – big time.

Statistics suggest that the number of Coworking spaces across the globe is increasing considerably each year. By 2022, it’s expected to reach 30,432 – a far cry from the 14 recorded in 2007.

This is a trend that is being exploited particularly by the restaurant industry. And if you think that’d be the last place most people would look for somewhere to work, think again.

Why do people want to co-work in a restaurant?

A busy, noisy restaurant might seem like far too much of a distraction to get any meaningful work done, but for many freelancers and remote working professionals, it’s perfect.

The restaurants that have jumped on the coworking trend have already navigated their way around these concerns. For instance, those that are only open at night have willingly opened their doors during the day specifically for coworkers, thus providing the perfect, quiet bolthole for people who want to be ultimately productive.

The mere presence of food and beverages is also a boon for many coworkers. A great menu and ever-present coffee machine are a unique perk that isn’t offered in traditional coworking spaces.

How to create the perfect restaurant coworking space

Have we got you excited about creating a coworking offering in your restaurant?

Here are a few tips for getting it right.

Great pricing

You can charge for coworking spaces, but it needs to be fair if the freelancing community are to spread the good word about your restaurant.

Take a look at the cost of working in your area and reduce your prices below the average. That’ll make you attractive and you can make up for the shortfall in food and beverage sales.

Unwavering, free WiFi

Every coworker who comes through your doors will want one thing beyond everything else – great WiFi.

If it needs continual logging in or comes at a price, you’ll lose more customers than you gain – it’s that important.

Decent atmosphere

A huge reason coworking is so alluring is the atmosphere. Remote workers and freelancers love the prospect of sitting somewhere in which there’s a bit of chatter, background music and life.

The good news? You run a restaurant and, providing it’s busy, atmosphere comes as standard!

The little touches

Pens. USB sockets. Loads of charging points.

It’s the little things you’ll need to include that will help people get the job done and make their time spent with you completely hassle-free.

A meeting room or two

You may not be blessed with enough space for a meeting room, but if you are – make sure you offer it to coworkers for that purpose.

You can charge extra for it, too. But the presence of a meeting room or two might set you apart from the coworking competition – and word will soon get around.

Wrapping up

As far back is 2018, coworking was already booming in Australia. That year, more coworking spaces were leased in the country than during the previous three years combined.

If you’re a restaurateur with some fallow periods throughout the week, coworking could be the key to a profitable source of untapped revenue.

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H&L POS – working with you to help you grow your business
H&L POS has been delivering POS solutions with extensive back of house and staff management systems to the hospitality industry for more than 30 years. As hospitality people at heart, H&L understand the critical requirements for each food and beverage operation. We have staff in every state of Australia providing direction and advice as you grow and as technology changes.
Call us at 1800 778 340, email [email protected] or fill in the form below to discuss your venue’s needs.