NYC Startup Wants to Turn Empty Restaurants Into Work Environments

Real estate in New York City is hard to come by. Now, Business Insider reports, employees without an office have a new place to go to get work done: empty restaurants.

Spacious is a startup aimed at transforming restaurants that sit unused during the day into comfortable work environments for freelancers and other remote workers. Co-founders Preston Pesek and Chris Smothers started the business with the intention of offering an alternative to busy coffee shops with limited seating.

At DBGB Kitchen and Bar, the company's pilot site, which is closed before 5:00 p.m. Monday though Thursday, Spacious customers are free to park their laptops at a cushioned booth or hold meetings in the private dining room. Unlimited coffee and tea is provided, as well as free Wi-Fi and curated music played at an appropriate volume. Members check in by punching their phone number into an iPad kiosk at the door. Once inside, part-time hosts are available to cater to their needs.

Memberships cost $95 a month for unlimited use of all locations, and about 50 people have joined Spacious so far. DBGB in Manhattan's East Village is Spacious's only location as of now, but they have plans to expand to nearby restaurants PUBLIC and L'Apicio soon. The team is also looking into offering complimentary bites and exclusive lunches to members down the road–just another reason to consider making the switch to telecommuting.

[h/t Business Insider]