Students and telecommuters now have access to new places to work: restaurants and bars that are empty or uncrowded in broad daylight. Thanks to the Montreal company Workden, it is now possible to spend an entire day there, with WiFi, unlimited coffee and tea.
The majority of traditional co-working spaces cost $ 15 to $ 20 per day, and an average of almost $ 240 per month. On the other hand, if you sit for an entire day in the dining room or private rooms of a restaurant affiliated with Workden, it will cost you $ 9.99 per day or $ 99 per month.
These prices are often lower than those of anticafés, where you pay by the hour to work on site. And you won’t bother any cafe owner who finds that you occupy a table for too long and don’t consume enough.
In some Workden partner restaurants, the kitchen – already open – allows users to order food there. Other establishments, completely closed during the day, sell sandwiches and salads, allow you to bring your lunch or order in neighboring restaurants.
If the concept allows restaurateurs – very affected by the pandemic – to earn additional income during the day and attract new customers, it also has an environmental mission.
“We use our spaces in a very inefficient way: when we go to work, our houses, our restaurants and our bars are empty, and at the end of the day, the offices are emptied in turn, explains one of the founders, Steven Regimbal. Our goal is to make better use of our spaces, rather than building new constructions and expanding the size of cities. ”
Workden currently has agreements with Pub Burgundy Lion in Little Burgundy, Knox Taverne in Pointe-Saint-Charles, Riverside in Saint-Henri, 212 Montreal in Old Montreal and soon places on the Plateau and downtown. The company aims to have 20 restaurant partners who will allow it to be present in most Montreal neighborhoods, before expanding its activities elsewhere in Quebec and Canada.
An industry in transformation
Profit sharing is also planned with the partners. According to Toby Lyle, co-owner of the Burgundy Lion group, the effects are very positive. “We would have been happy with a little extra income thanks to the users of our spaces, but we see that most of the world orders in our kitchen, which is open from 11:30 am,” he says. We saw a boost of business volume. ”
For some users, access to a bar near the “office” seems a significant advantage. “On Thursdays and Fridays, many workers come for a drink,” he adds.
Many of our regular customers at the bar, who settled in for free in a corner to work, are even willing to pay the daily Workden fee to have access to a quieter corner with coffee. I am very happy !
Toby Lyle, co-owner of the Burgundy Lion group
Before the pandemic, Toby Lyle was already seeing the restaurant industry transform, with the rise in popularity of delivery, the growth of Uber Eats and the dwindling footfall in downtown areas. Since March 2020, the shift has accelerated. And the Burgundy Lion was ready to take it. “Three years ago, we renovated our spaces and we have two rooms for private gatherings, as well as a beautiful garden solarium on the second floor, which is often empty,” says Tyle. We can now use these spaces for people who come with Workden. ”
Visit the Workden website