Even before COVID-19 restrictions limited indoor dining, Tapville Social in downtown Naperville didn’t open its doors until 4 p.m.
But the 216 S. Washington St. bar/restaurant is no longer empty during the day, Tapville CEO Joe Tota said.
It’s being used by people who want space to work somewhere other than home, don’t want the hassle and/or expense of leasing a place or need a place to meet a coworker or client.
The shared workspace is operated by Chicago-based Workvana. From 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, people pay a daily rate or a membership fee to have access to a table, internet service, electrical outlets and printing.
“Without a doubt, remote work is here to stay,” Workvana co-founder Kami Bond said. “What we’re hearing is that people really like the idea of having their own dedicated space outside of their house, local and in their community, to be able to work out of.
“They want to have flexibility, they want to support their local community and stay close to home and work near home — but not from home,” she said.
Members pay $15 to use the space once a month, $50 for five day passes a month and $120 for an unlimited number of day passes and four guest passes a month. Members who require more than what their plan allows can buy additional passes at a discounted rate. Anyone who doesn’t want to become a member can pay $20 for a day pass.
A booking system allows users to secure a table seat for a few hours or the entire day, depending on availability.
There are other shared working spaces in Naperville, but Workvana’s concept is unique, Bond said. It taps into existing space in a convenient and appealing location and provides something more akin to coffee shop than a traditional office.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and health measures are in place, Bond said. Capacity is reduced, users spaced out, mask usage mandatory and coffee/tea service temporarily put on hold because of the indoor dining restrictions.
Tapville is doing delivery and curbside pickup but only during its regular business hours, Tota said. They won’t be serving food or drinks when the space is used by Workvana, he said.
“There is a growing trend of coworking, but coworking is (mostly) in city centers,” Bond said. “And then you look at coffee shops, but they are very crowded, open to the public, it’s loud, you don’t have high-speed internet or secure Wi-Fi.”
As a mom, Bond said she knows shared workspace is attractive for parents looking to get work done without distractions. A Workvana co-founder told her it gets him out of his home office, which can be isolating at times, she said.
“We have to come up with options for people to work more flexibly, especially when you think about inclusion, diversity, working mothers, etc. It really helps to provide opportunities for them,” she said.
Naperville is the third site Workvana has opened in the Chicago area since its founding a little more than a year ago. There’s also one in Elmhurst using Tota’s Red Arrow taproom/restaurant and another at 1725 W. Division St.
The company website says they are planning six other Chicago locations and one in Arlington Heights.
Tota describes the arrangement as a “win-win” since he makes money by leasing space he’s not otherwise using and Workvana has a place easily set up for remote working in a good location.
“Partnering with Workvana allows us the opportunity to put guests in our restaurant privately and get a little bit of revenue … when we probably wouldn’t have it occupied,” he said.
“We do see (Workvana members) making purchases toward the end of the workday once we do open the restaurant at 4 p.m. … We typically don’t get busy until dinnertime so having somebody there at 4 ready to be a customer is really beneficial for us,” Tota said.
It’s also an arrangement that helps neighboring businesses, Bond said.
“Instead of commuting somewhere else, we get people out of their houses and into local downtown neighborhoods or going to other places for lunch and just seeing what’s out there,” she said. “(This is) an opportunity for economic development within different villages and municipalities.”
raguerrero@tribpub.com
