Last year my internet was being a jerk, so I found myself working from a coffee shop. I used all sorts of Tips on How to Work Productively From a Coffee Shop to no avail. I don’t like distractions and write/think/process best in complete silence…all alone and in the comfort of my own home. Working out of coffee shops is not for me. But they make great work spaces for many, so much so that many coffee shops have changed how they charge customers {like this coffee shop that charges per hour, not per cup!}. And now an entire new creative work space trend is sweeping the country.
Coworking spaces are cropping up all over, with almost 15,000 coworking spaces available. And while some coworking spaces cost hundreds of dollars to use, there’s a trendy cheaper option now: working out of a bar or restaurant during that businesses slower hours during the day, before they revert back to serving customers during the evening. Adapting bars and restaurants into coworking spaces provides a beautiful ambiance and high-end feel that’s the exact opposite of a routine cubicle and a desk.
Restaurant owners are loving it because it offers a new source of revenue during the work day, when their restaurants often sit empty, and remote workers are loving it because it’s so much cheaper than a typical brick and mortar office space {often less than $100/month}. Seems like a win/win.
Would you ever work from a space like that or are you like me, and would prefer to work from home?
~Mavis
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AJ says
No way. I worked in an open floor plan office once, and I had to have my earbuds in all the time or I would get too distracted. Open areas are fun, but give me my cave when I need to actually be productive! 🙂
Gwenn says
I currently work from home for a large health insurance company doing project management. I’ve been working at home for over three years now and I actually, sorta, dislike going into the office now. I’m so used to the quiet of my house, my dogs, the proximity of my kitchen, my dogs, being able to wear shorts or jammies to work every day….stuff like that so when I do need to go into the office I’m much less productive than I am at home. And, of course, my dogs miss me.
FarmGirl says
No way could I do this. I have my own office and most days find myself closing the door due to co-worker visiting, etc. I need peace and quite and my own space. I worked in a cubicle farm for 5 1/2 years and had a hard time focusing. I couldn’t work from home either b/c I would be distracted with all that needs to be done there. It might be nice though for laundry and cooking. I have found that most of my employees find many many reasons to get distracted. I am constantly trying to keep them busy. Cell phones being the worst culprit. I can’t imagine any of them working from a coffee shop. They would get nothing done!
Jenny Young says
I would never get anything done!
My husband works in a cubicle, part of training & development for his company. They’re in the process of remodeling & though they’ll still be in cubicles they’ll be visually open to each other. He says it’s more for the employees that they serve…making it easier for them when they come to his department for help. He is not very happy about it.
Cathy says
I work for a tech company, in an open office space with anywhere from 4-10 people here at one time. It totally works for us! We are always bouncing ideas off of one another. There are conference rooms for anyone who needs to take a call or client conference. We all work quietly together, respecting one another’s peace and space. I work part time, which might be why I enjoy it. Maybe if I were here 40+ hours a week, I’d go bonkers!
Ellen in Clackamas says
don’t know if I could be productive with an open plan whether it be in a bar/restaurant or an office. Right now I am in a 4 person cube/office—five foot high pony walls and a door. The new building we are moving to in a couple of years just has long tables with computers and phones–hardly anything to block noise or movment. I’m hoping to be retired by then so I don’t have to test my theory of production!
Linda Sand says
While I like the idea of such a win-win use of space, I need almost perfect silence in my life. My audiologist always mentions how little noise my hearing aids record.
Lynne says
I worked out of a coffee shop and a library for about a year, and I really enjoyed it. I had a hard time getting motivated at home. I’d spend the morning in the library when it was quiet, then to a bagel chain for late lunch for a few hours, then early dinner time to 7 pm at the local coffee shop, about 3 days a week. People were around, but not in a distracting way.
RobinSoCal says
I work from home and love the solitude of it. I probably get more done without any distractions save maybe collecting eggs or throwing a load of laundry into the wash/dryer during the day. I think maybe the Millennials for the most part would like the coffee shop vibe as they grew up focused on a screen rather than the people around them. Maybe they do not get distracted by people talking and in general making noise near them as much.
Jennifer says
I’m in school full time and had to learn to discipline myself *not* to do laundry or gardening chores in lieu of homework or studying, when I’m home. So I may do better out of the house, but still in semi-quiet space. My husband has his own office with a door (usually open) at the small company where he works, but he easily works at Starbucks or wherever when he has a meeting away from the office and arrives too early, etc.
Similar topic: this spring our family toured numerous colleges with our 18yo son. At several of the colleges, the tour guide mentioned what the expecteation of noise was at the various floors of the library or within a given building that has study areas. Seems like the higher up you go, the quieter the students are expected to be. So you can choose the area based on how much you want to talk to your study partner or how quiet you need it!
UpstateNYer says
If I had to work at home and need to leave my home for some reason during my work day, I would choose to work remotely from my local library. It is mostly quiet. Some newer libraries even have closed rooms to access. And best of all it is Free (especially if you bring your own refreshments).