Are Coworking Dining Spaces the Next Big Hotel Trend?

We all expect our hotel to have a restaurant and, similarly, we’re accustomed to, at this point, some sort of communal space in our hotel, whether it’s just a casual work space in the lobby or something a bit more social. But what about a coworking space? More restaurants are getting into the coworking space business and hotel restaurants aren’t immune to the trend.

Why? Well, in many cases, a restaurant coworking space can be a more affordable and flexible alternative to a traditional coworking space. After all, the restaurant has many other ways to make money. Offering its booths or tables as coworking spaces is just an easy way for it to earn additional revenue it might not get during the daytime, when people are looking to work rather than eat or have a drink. So the restaurant rents out table space during work hours and then welcomes its normal patrons at night and on weekends. This is especially popular when it comes to dinner-only restaurants that sit empty and without a revenue stream during the day.

Restaurants in New York City offer remote workers coworking spaces for as little as $100 per month and you get special perks, such as multiple locations around the city in which to work (thanks to partnered restaurants), guaranteed fast WiFi and usually some free drinks (coffee, tea, soda) at the restaurant.

One hotel where you can find a coworking dining space is Hotel Weyanoke, a luxury boutique property in Virginia. The hotel’s restaurant, Effingham’s, is a pizza café, and provides breakfast, lunch and dinner to travelers, but also acts as a coworking space for both travelers and locals.

Are coworking dining spaces the next big hotel trend? Will we see them pop up at every new, boutique hotel? It’s not out of the realm of possibility, especially as remote work becomes more popular and everyone — including hotels and restaurants — is looking for a side hustle.