story

Since January 2021, I have lived in 25+ unique cities across the United States. While I first left home to take a break from my stint working as a management consultant, I'm still on the road today. Given the longer nature of my stays, I built routines while tapping into the local cultures of each city. Throughout this time, I lived in constant flux: transitioning between jobs, living in different climates, and working in various time zones.

One constant during my travels was snagging a decent place to work. My college instincts often kicked in, bringing me to various local and independent coffeeshops. I sought after fresh cafes that provided me access to reliable WiFi, an outlet, and a work-friendly ambience. Every new city meant starting from scratch. Some weeks I'd try a new cafe every day to try out different spaces, before aligning on my list of favorite spots.

My "aha" moment struck over time, with repeated experiences of wasting time trying to secure a seat at a cafe in a new city. Other times, I'd notice other customers walk in, scan the cafe, and walk right out upon realizing that their potential work station was already taken. I've been hogging the hottest seat in the house, and other folks want in.

I began to wonder, How much money are cafes losing from potential customers interested in sitting for a work session? I also thought about my own struggles, How much time do we waste looking for a work-friendly cafe? cofipass unites both sides of the remote-work marketplace: cafes that want to better monetize their real estate, and people who want place to get work done.

If you have any questions or thoughts on this project, feel free to drop us a note at [email protected]. Thanks for dropping in, and hope to see you at a cafe soon!

abhinav sridharan

founder & ceo