Getting the most from your working life is increasingly likely to mean spending at least a portion of it in a cafe. These places are more than simply places in which you can pick up a delicious drink. They’re also social hubs, communal workspaces, and internet-connected meeting rooms.
What’s more, many of the innovations (including amazing coffee-based drinks) found in a modern cafe have helped to shape the workplace, too.
How Hybrid Working Has Changed Coffee Consumption
What’s driven the changes of the last few years? The answer, for the most part, is obvious: we’re able to work remotely. Given the choice, many remote workers elect to spend their working hours in a cafe, rather than at home. The cafe provides inspiration in the form of a change of scenery, as well as a stream of caffeine and an internet connection.
For the cafe, this means consistent demand over the course of a day, as the traditional rush periods are bookended by working hours for laptop-wielding customers.
Why Coffee Shops Have Become Flexible Workspaces
Cafes offer many of the features we look for in a premium-quality workspace. These include comfortable chairs, complementary Wi-Fi, and a welcoming vibe. They’ve served as informal meeting places for hundreds of years, but it’s only recently that the digital revolution has allowed them to serve as an office away from the office.
In the late 80s, the sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term ‘third place’, in order to refer to a place other than home or work, in which we can forge social bonds, and generally do the things that make democracy possible. This is a function that can be served by a cafe.
Meeting New Expectations Through Convenience and Personalisation
The rise of the cafe has resulted in an amazing amount of competition, and the development of a varied and diverse menu of sweet treats and savoury snacks. Of course, many of these items have become staples, to the extent that you can now expect to find carrot cake, cappuccino, and pesto and mozzarella paninis in just about any cafe you choose to enter. Cafes that don’t offer these in-demand options might risk leaving new customers disappointed.
Customers might also expect services and touches that have little to do with the actual products being dispensed. They might, for example, look at special premium experiences, and personalised beverages. A double shot of espresso in your Americano might just be the start.
How Businesses Are Using Coffee to Enhance Workplace Experiences
All of these changes are being embraced not just by the cafes themselves, but by businesses that want to replicate many of the social and work-related benefits that these places can bring. You might use a coffee machine to improve your staff canteen, or to win over customers in your car showroom.
