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Work over a cuppa
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Coffee shops are not just lively hangouts for bubbly college-goers. They are a place for corporate meetings, interviews or just connecting to the world using the Internet, finds RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA
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PHOTO: G.R.N. SOMASHEKAR
THE WORLD IN A CUP Wi-fi connectivity, a casual atmosphere and a workspace away from office — cafes offer all that and much more
It has been a while since coffee drinking has emerged into a lifestyle habit. Visiting your neighbourhood coffee outlet to relax with friends, family and colleagues has caught on over the last couple of years. However another noticeable trend is that these coffee outlets are also doubling up as workspaces thanks to the increasingly informal work atmosphere. Meeting a client, setting up the initial business talk, working on a pending presentation; all of these can be done over a cup of coffee. With changing attitudes in work cultures, the concept of Friday dressing, informal customer-client interactions, it is perhaps an expected change that work, for several professionals, is stretching to new spaces.
Needless to say coffee outlets are welcoming its new set of customers. Simran Sablok, General Manager–Marketing at Café Coffee Day says, “The trend of using cafes as a workplace is not confined to the metros alone; we see this across the country. People running individual businesses find our cafes an attractive option to meet their clients. The cafes are convenient to discuss business, or meetbefore a flight out of the city.”
Many cite the ambience and the location at various points in cities as a major plus point. Prakash Paul, voice coach and Radio Jockey at FM Rainbow, 101.3MHz cites his reason to use cafes for official meetings: “Firstthe ambience is unofficial, which allows a person in a business like mine to sit and talk to people. Another thing I have noticed is that there is a free flow of thought when people are in an informal atmosphere.”
The other plus point as far as a cordial work atmosphere goes, is wireless connectivity. Many people are seen working alone, either with their files, or on their laptop using the Wi-Fi enabled cafes.
Rini Dutta, VP, Marketing and Product Development, Barista, says: “Given the long working hours and the increasing time spent out of home, our guests sometimes use the espresso bar to catch up on their work. We have noticed this trend is increasing with the progress made in wireless connectivity.”
Whether it is individual businessmen, freelance professionals, executives from a company or people from creative fields cafes are taking a sizeable space in urban life. Rini adds: “Other than chunks of the B-school student community, who get together with classmates to work on a project, we also find entrepreneurs who use Barista as an impromptu office to meet clients and business associates. We are also aware that several senior executives use Barista to meet for job interviews.”
Tapan Roy Choudhury, GM, Operations, Pyramid Retail Ltd. Says: “Cafes are located in central points, which eases out travel time and helps when one wants to have a quick meeting. Many are comfortable to meet a client or colleague at cafes like Coffee Day or Barista though senior executives of a company may meet at a coffee shop of a star hotel, which still is work at a café.”
Sameer Guglani, VP, Corporate Strategy, seventymm.com says: “This is a trend which is seen abroad as well, in cafes like Starbucks. These cafes have added a new facet to their character by bringing a lounge feel and this definitely helps in working at one’s pace. Also if you ask me, people of the old school of thought might think of meeting a client at the lobby of a star hotel. Generally the present generation professionals find cafés more open and informal.”
Even though at times the noise level gets high with crowds coming in, people who use cafes for extending their work insist it is ignorable and one can select cafes that have more of an office-going crowd rather than going to a café in a residential area. In any case it is perhaps another way of combining work and fun together.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
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