Coworking on Long Island just got more interesting. While cowork spaces are popping up left and right in New York City and other urban markets, Long Island and suburban areas have been feeling the lack of love from companies like Impact Hub, WeWork and Industrious. In the last two years, hundreds of cowork alternatives have also hit the scene in major cities but again, suburbia has gotten the cold shoulder.
CoTable recently hit the scene in Port Washington. The Port Washington-based company is backed by Hayley Foster, founder of Foster Inc. CoTable’s mission is to provide remote workers with a place to connect, collaborate and cowork while supporting local restaurants and venues by bringing in customers that may not have considered dining there. The venues are given an opportunity to provide CoTable members with a great dining experience who might now consider returning to their restaurant in the future.
Restaurants are offering CoTable visitors great incentives, such as free drip coffee or tea, free WiFi, lunch discounts and happy hour specials. Foster’s vision stemmed from seeing many suburban restaurants being underutilized during the day and felt this model would be the perfect way for them to bring in additional revenue while not having to increase staff or bring on any additional expenses.
The company website, www.co-table.com, lists the features and benefits for each location along with the days and times each venue is available. CoTable members can sign up for as many days as they’d like. Currently, members can check-in and collaborate with other CoTable guests via the Wix CoTable app.
“In addition to building a business”, founder Hayley Foster said. “We are also building a new community where people can connect, collaborate and cowork. Listening to the attendees share information about their businesses and exchange business cards was a true testament to the benefit of being a part of the CoTable community.”
One visitor at the CoTable kickoff said, “I was working from home and couldn’t motivate. I felt like being around other working people and figured it would get the juices flowing.” Restaurants that have been offering this type of service to remote workers have seen a 15 to 25 percent increase in revenues on days when they offer their space.
CoTable is already in talks with other restaurants and venues throughout Long Island. If you’d like more information on how to bring CoTable to your venue or to your town, you can reach Foster at letscotable@gmail.com. To find out more about CoTable, visit their website at www.co-table.com.
