Sorry, Power-Lunchers. These Tables Are Reserved for Drop-In Workers.

In this country, the more stupid the idea the better chance it has of succeeding. Thus, Spacious.

"that’s why you feel weird in a coffee shop all day, because all of these spaces are designed for you to leave." Based on my experience, I think the squatters got over any feeling of "weirdness" about 3 years ago. Some even feel their rights are being violated when a local Mom and Pop coffee shop posts a sign banning laptops on weekends.

The Republican Agenda (for the Super-Rich): America reduced to a 3rd world country. A nation of sweatshops where compliant workers live in ignorance, fear, illness and poverty, while the 1% bleed us and invest tax-free overseas. You don’t share this dream? VOTE BLUE!

"Everything is now a co-working space..." Excellent, excellent...the lumpenprole are becoming indoctrinated to allow their labors to consume more and more of their lives. Soon the outdated concepts of "leisure" and "weekends" will be cast down and forgotten and maximum profitability will be achieved. Sincerely, the 0.001%

I think it should be noted once again that "Only 5 percent have made the cut to become Spacious spaces, said the company, which is unprofitable." This seems to be all too common, so many startups sound great on paper but there appears to be no path to profitability.

Good thing these places are closed for lunch , tired of not being able to sit and enjoy my coffee at a Starbucks . They not only take up table space , they spread out and if you take a seat at a table they're hogging , they get snippy .

Honest question: What do Spacious users do if they frequently discuss confidential matters on the phone? Or are working on a sensitive project? Sitting in the middle of a restaurant putting my employer's business out there for everyone in the world blows my mind. I also work from home but on proprietary projects - proprietary not because they are important, but because my employer says so. I imagine many people (like product managers in competitive markets like cannabis) are in the same boat. I suspect a lot of business intelligence could be collected every day in these spaces.

"Spacious is part of a broader debate over how to use spaces in cities" - How is a for-profit company part of public debate or broad debate in any sense?

The interesting issue is how many monthly memberships they sell/lease and % usage . ie. times per month. Guessing the monthly usage is modest. Maybe 10 to 15 days a month , and 4 hours each time, if that. A couple commentors have imputed numbers. If the restaurant/office gets 150 members then we are in the 16,000 range. Or 200k gross per yr. It starts to make sense. Restaurant gets 5 k a month. 2 manager/ host salaries at 8 k (being optomistic) 3 k margin for the licensor. Tough way to get rich for sure. Once you get 200 members it starts to make sense. Do they charge for coffee? Seems like another cash flow area. Interesting but doubtful it can spread too far.

You just gotta have a gimic!

This is a fantastic, brilliant idea. I wish *I* thought of it. I wish Spacious a lot of success. Will join myself.

Another unstated virtue of this concept: the "5pm closing time" helps drive remote-workers to a more "normal" business day. The forced unplugging may contribute to work-life balance among a set that is typically out of balance. Stop being so boring, go have a life outside of work, and you can come back in the morning when the drop-in space reopens.

Hard to get a table at any of my local Starbucks. They look like dorms with people glued to computers and their belongings strewn about covering tables for four all day long. When they first moved to Boston, tables were round, conducive to conversing with friends over coffee. I go to Italian cafes in my neighborhood now—no free WiFi, people talking, cheering for soccer teams, writing in a journal even. In short, life as we used to know it.

I like this concept. It aligns with the yearning inside all of us to be with others, not be bothered, but be surrounded by people. I know there are exceptions to this. For me, I like people and being around them. This concept sounds pretty cool!

Maybe it should be called SPECIOUS, or is that a work techies don't understand given they create "bugs and features" at will.

I go to my favorite brewery in the morning, nobody there except a bartender and maybe a thirsty tourist, and work with an ocean view until noon.

One can understand why neoliberal employers appreciate this adaptability by the precariate. Overhead expenses to provide value adding employees are reduced, if not eliminated; the cost of finding a workspace is paid by the employee; other overhead expenses like toiletries, utilities, space for refrigerators and microwaves are no longer borne by employers. Flop houses are the new offices, and perhaps delousing will also become a cost of the employed.

Very innovative. I do lack understanding of the appeal. The last place I would want to work all day, is in a busy public venue, to many distractions. The finance professional in me, would never pay for what is free at home.

Good luck to businesses like this! I have always hated that so much space is wasted when a business is not open, especially because the empty space still draws on electricity (for lighting and AC or heat) and thus wastes the resources to produce that energy. It's great that they do this with restaurants, but how about all those office buildings that are packed from 9 to 5 but stand empty the rest of the day? If a public school can turn its gym into overnight housing for the homeless (as was reported a few weeks ago), how about the conference rooms and other large unused spaces in all those big buildings?

How timely! My wife and I both work full-time remotely, live nomadically, and are currently in need of a place to plug in this week while we stopped in San Francisco. I think we'll try this out! Coffee shops are cheap but we feel bad using up table space and disturbing patrons with our video meetings. WeWork is much too expensive, and not practical for travelers like us. This clever use of unused space feels right. Just last week we were approached in a coffee shop in Oakland by somebody handing out flyers for a startup called Hiven that runs co-work space sharing in private homes. I can't wait to see where this workspace revolution goes, and in the mean time I'm looking forward to trying Spacious!

It's hard to see how allowing squatters to take up all your table space without buying anything is good for business, the monthly fee (about the cost of a dinner for two) notwithstanding. I'm wondering how the governments of New York and Seattle will figure out a way to regulate this scheme. Somebody, somewhere, must be getting harmed.

I hope this might siphon some workers away from neighborhood cafes that have become like study halls with every table full of laptops for hours and often the annoyance of people Skyping next to one.

I've used Spacious at the Milling Room on the Upper West Side. The vibe is great. The music is nice. Although I will say there is zero collaboration and mixing among users. Certain areas fill up very fast because you can stay in those areas until 5 or so. The least desirable areas you get kicked out at 3:30. I cannot imagine how anyone is making money on this business. I'm guessing there are 50 - 70 "regulars " . Let's say 70 at $99 per month equals $84k per year. They have to pay the restaurant something for heat/AC and lights Wi-Fi and I assume insurance - wear and tear on the bathrooms and coffee and waster . So let's say $3k per month. Then they appear to have a pretty competent person there checking us in each day, opening up, putting down power strips, answering questions about connecting on Wi-Fi and the rules, That person has to cost at least $35k. That leaves $13k per year. Plus you have to have someone hiring the staff at locations and scheduling and training them because there will be turnover. Someone to help raise money, find new sites, negotiate with restaurants, do social media, pr, get people paid. That leaves no money. AND- there is little barrier to entry for competitors as there dozens of other restaurants that could be converted to workspaces nearby. Ironically, the only way that this business lasts is to sell food (an idea that the original restaurant discarded as not viable or the space wouohave been available)

Interesting concept, though I can't see it saving restaurants that are already on the brink of failure. The next places to apply the co-working concept could be churches (less than full 6 days/week, and not all church spaces are configured with pews); and schools (mostly closed in summer, usually available on weekends and holidays). Yes, there are zoning and non-profit issues to be addressed, but that is what lawyers and politicians are for. One must wonder whether the annual fee will be enough to keep marginal/undesirable users out of the spaces. For example, who will keep an eye out for drug dealers and hookers and those who simply want a warm/cool place to hang out during the day?

I can't see this working with NYC's top restaurants. Part f the appeal of EMP or Gotham, for example, is the notion of exclusivity (along with world-class food). Distilled, which is near me, does this. Their food has always been mediocre, and I think less of the place, since learning they rent out to workers. I knowthat's not fair. I won't drop 40-50 dollars on a steak somewhere that does this. Again, I know that's a shallow feeling. Renting out space during the day makes it SEEM like the restaurant isn't good enough to make it on its cuisine. Imagine learning that Gotham does this. Would you want to drop 200 dollars at a restaurant that is an office during the day?

What is wrong with going home to work? Is this because people can’t afford to live in very expensive cities, where the work is to be found? I’m not sure I understand why these workers need to take up space at restaurants and cafés, when they clearly live somewhere?? Why should the restaurants have to pony up for electricity, WiFi and the like? And then there is the plain fact that they need to have staff present to keep an eye on things. I work next door to a small local café, where space is limited and we have several “workers” who literally run and jostle for table space, to take it up for hours at a time, scheduling and holding meetings, etc. while nursing a single cup of coffee for the entire time. I don’t get this new “sharing” economy.

Wow. The number of negative Nellies responding is astounding. There is no issue whatsoever with restaurants using their spaces in this way. As to those who ask about the economics, the cost to the restaurant is de minimis. Each location makes some money for space that would otherwise go unused. My concern about the article is that seems like an advertisement for Spacious. There are several other companies doing the exact same thing, including Kettlespace, that offer better deals and have been around at least as long. Why were they not examined and their founders not interviewed too?

Hawaii here checking in. Co-work is definitely the shape of the workplace future, how about a follow up from the investors, owners, managers of traditional commercial real estate. Here on Maui AirB&B has been a major disruptive force in the tourism economy and a nightmare for local zoning enforcement. Can we expect these "drop in offices" (everyplace is everything to everyone) to disrupt the market for office rentals in the same way? I'd like to see the cash flow projections on some of these ventures.

who pays for electricity? can the fees received from Spacious really cover electricity and air conditioning/heat? wouldn't it be cheaper for the restaurant to keep the lights and air conditioning off?

Anything that gets them out of coffee shops and cafes is great. I'd like to get a table at a Starbucks once in a while instead of the same guy who sets up his office there each day.

How does this work out in restaurants that are, whether by design or accident, high noise locations in desperate need of some sound deadening?

Great idea! I would love to see more spaces have dual identities. Already, churches are weektime schools or daycare. My biggest complaint is the underutilization of schools in evenings, and during weekends and summers. Keep coming with new ideas!

Likely to be some unintended consequences and/or not- thought-out issues.... In hyper-gentrifying areas in NYC, the ability to utilize restaurant space for drop-in workers gives restaurants an advantage over any local/independent retail shops and businesses or shops which are grappling with high rent and ecommerce. Some restaurants also benefit from "free" sidewalk space for outdoor restaurant seating. So is that the future in hyper-gentrifying neighborhoods? Restaurants get to double functionality - while local retail cannot and thus continue to whither?