New ‘work from hospo’ trend set to revitalise restaurants and cafes
As people look to get at the house to do their work, they are increasingly turning to hospitality venues to provide an alternative working space.
The trend has seen a new term coined: WFH or working from hospo.
Hybrid and full-time work from home employees are heading to cafes, restaurants or hotels with their laptop to get their work done.
Fintech worker Phoebe Howlett has embraced the trend.
“I love the autonomy that I can do my work from anywhere. I’m more focused with no distractions,” Howlett told WA Today. “The coworking space I regularly go to here in Melbourne has 400 people there. If I work in a hotel, it’s just me, with no distractions.”
A survey by JLL found 36 per cent of employees work in “third places” at least once a week, up 8 per cent from the previous year. It is a number that is expected to grow.
Swinburne University undertook a similar investigation finding that cafes are the preferred third place, with libraries, pubs, parks and coworking spaces also popular.
Swinburne’s research showed that getting out of the house provided employees with a necessary mental reset, community and social connection, and access to their favourite food and coffee.
“I worked from home to focus prior to COVID. However, after long periods of working from home, I missed the banter in the corridor, you know, chatting about what you’re having for dinner, what you did on the weekend - the social interaction that normally makes up the workplace. I now get that in a new space, forming social connections with cafe staff,” Associate Dean at the Deakin University Business School Colin Higgins told WA Today.
Higgins calls it the ‘coffice’.
The trend is not only good for employees, hospitality venues are also reaping the benefits.
“Employees working from hospitality venues are 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,” general manager at the Australian Hotels Association Mike Barouche said.
Swinburne researchers found a spend could be up to $30 each visit.
Leon Colosimo, who owns 10 pub venues across Sydney, lauded the move.
“With this new way of working, people are coming in at those normally super quiet times, which is fantastic,” Colosimo said.
“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.
“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.”
Restaurant and Catering Australia’s Suresh Manickam hopes the trend will revitalise city traffic into forgotten venues.
“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 told WA Today.
Jonathan Jackson, 4th May 2023
