A restaurant owners step by step guide on how you can further monetize your underutilized space by offering professionals a new way they can work and interact with your space.

What Is a Coworking Space and Why Should You Care?

The way we work has changed and will continue to change. As technology continues to advance, the need to be in a typical office setting has dramatically decreased due to the fact that new careers, freelancing, and remote employees can virtually work from anywhere.

This is largely due to the changing skill-sets of the workforce to meet new demands in our economy. “Companies are increasingly embracing “remote, agile” teams to complete projects and meet deadlines, according to a study by the freelancing website Upwork. The survey of more than 1,000 U.S.-based managers found that the continuing “skills gap” is driving the trend toward hiring more virtual workers”. With the ever-changing needs of professionals, a new market has opened for flexible workspaces called “coworking spaces” that remote workers can use instead of working isolated in their homes.

So what is a coworking space? A coworking space is a flexible alternative to a traditional office. In most cases, coworking spaces operate on a month to month term and offer amenities such as private offices, meeting rooms, open lounges, and cafes allowing users to get work done. It’s a great alternative over working from home, with the benefit of community and connections that help your business progress. Users of these flex spaces enjoy the amenities of an office without having to lock themselves into a long-term lease. There is a growing demand for people looking to work from local, flexible workspaces and hypothetically you already own one.

By 2020, millennials will make up more than half of the global workforce, and this will cause a significant shift in demands and expectations in the workplace.

The Benefits of Turning Your Restaurant Into A Coworking Space

You have already invested in the build-out of your restaurant or cafe with the goal of creating an atmosphere your guests can enjoy. By creating a coworking model that is complementary to your operating hours, you can turn your slow hours or closed hours into a source of revenue.

• Only open for dinner? Only a few days per week? Monetize unused space and create new lines of revenue when business is slow or during your closed hours.
• You already operate a space that is comfortable for guests. By leveraging an open space design you can monetize each chair or table. By creating a schedule for your popup workspace during preferred hours, you can enhance your restaurant’s bottom line by making money from workspace memberships.
• Build a loyal community by creating unique experiences around your space.
• Give your business a new competitive edge – provide a service that is rapidly growing in demand.
• Create experiences with new customers who have never been to your space.
• Increase your visibility on search engines, allowing customers to find you more easily
• When users are in your space you can sell them food and special items!

Looking to read more about the benefits of restaurant coworking for the average remote worker? Click the link!

How To Get Started

Step 1. Join The Shared Economy

The first set to turning your restaurant into a coworking space is to determine whether you have the right amenities and operations. As a general rule of thumb you should ask yourself the following questions:

Do you have:

• Staff available to greet members and ensure they are comfortable?
• High-speed internet?
• Tables, counters or comfortable lounges for users to work from?
• Natural light and inspiring ambiance?
• Coffee, tea, snacks, and unique amenities to give out at your space?
• Enough power outlets?

Step 2. Branding. Operations. Awareness.

If you answered the questions above with a yes (to a majority), then you can proceed on to the next step.

• Take professional photos of your location (interior and exterior).
• Stage your new “coworking product” on your new or existing website.
• Determine a sustainable operating schedule and membership options that do not impact your primary business.
• Add exterior signage to let the community know.
• List your services on local directories and create a content marketing strategy.
• Create a Search Engine Optimization Strategy.
• Implement a Paid (Search Engine Marketing Strategy).
• Partner with a booking platform to accommodate your memberships and passes to your space.
• Train staff on how to welcome, support, fill inventory, and ensure customers have a good experience.

Pro Tip: Understand your primary business schedule by using restaurant tech like Upserve to get insights and analytics on your restaurant’s performance, while also getting the advantages of online ordering, inventory management, and employee scheduling.

Dont Have Time Or Need Help? Partner With DropDesk

DropDesk creates unique workspaces & experiences by converting unused space into vibrant coworking spaces. We partner with retail, hotels, restaurants, coworking spaces,
business centers and cafes to build a community around the spaces we work with. DropDesk offers a turn-key solution so you can focus on running your business.

1. DropDesk will create a landing page for your restaurant to actively market your space.
2. Implement unique descriptions allowing us to help you rank on Google.
3. Submit your venue to local directories and create a content marketing strategy.
4. Allow access to our coworking management solution, allowing you to seamlessly manage billing, bookings and more.
5. Integrate a managed wifi solution (optional)
6. DropDesk will work with venue operators to create events to draw customers to your space.
7. Re-target, send deals to customers and members to use your space.

Click Here To Learn More About How We Can Help.

Step 3. Launch Your Popup Workspace

Whether you are looking for for innovative ideas on how you can market your restaurant, ways to improve sales at your restaurant, or attract more a a community to your space, coworking can be a very profitable venture when operated correctly. Your restaurant, cafe or lounge already has the essentials, its time to create some local impact!