Time to try the new ‘WFH’: Working from hospo

It turns out not only will your work and mind benefit from working in such third spaces, you could also be making a difference to the hospitality industry.

“Employees working from hospitality venues is providing a new income stream to our venues at times when they would not otherwise be able to generate revenue, such as between meal periods at off-peak times,” says Mike Barouche, general manager at the Australian Hotels Association.

Swinburne researchers found that people who work in third places will stay anywhere between 15 minutes and 4 hours and spend up to $30 each visit.

“With this new way of working, people are coming in at those normally super quiet times, which is fantastic,” says Leon Colosimo, who owns 10 pub venues across Sydney, including Bella Vista Hotel and The Governor Hotel.

“They might come in to order a coffee, do some of their laptop work. They might also get a non-alcoholic beverage, and then they’ll usually eat a bit of lunch, too, which is exactly what we want.

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“We have power stations for people to charge their devices, strong Wi-Fi, new furniture, so we’re ticking all the boxes for making it comfortable.”

Swinburne’s research revealed deep individual work was the most common work task completed in these places, including creative thinking, reading, admin tasks and emails. This is how Higgins says he likes to work at his newfound “coffice”, saving in-person meetings for the office or online meetings for the home.

“Working at cafes has given me a source of energy. There are fewer distractions. I go there to focus, to socialise or take a break,” Higgins says.

Sharon Williams, CEO of Taurus Marketing says she takes her team out to work in third spaces.

“Sometimes we do our team meetings in cafes, and we’ve often gone to the beach for the day and work remotely. I start to see their real personalities and it breaks the routine up. When they’re happy and having fun, you get a burst of loyalty and culture,” she says.

Suresh Manickam, from Restaurant and Catering Australia, says this trend could help revitalise city cafes.

“This can help bring the vibrancy and foot traffic back to the city centre, the cafe and restaurant culture, and we are still seeking ways to do that post-COVID,” he says.

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