D&D to fill empty seats with remote workers
D&D London is launching an app later this month to allow guests to book space at five of its London restaurants to use as an office.
The Workroom, launching in partnership with entrepreneur Dominika Sadowska on 10 June, will allow users to book a table for their own use. The tables will be available for a £10 individual day pass or multiple bundles of passes to be used as and when required at a reduced rate: three passes are £25, five can be purchased for £50 and 10 day passes for £75. The passes will operate with no membership fees or ties on a pay-as-you-go basis, and no set date or time they have to be used by.
D&D said the concept "legitimises the trade off, leaving both customer and staff knowing exactly where they stand" and "combats the issue many restaurants face to fill the space during the day". The group promises super-fast Wi-Fi and an abundance of plug sockets as standard; and complimentary tea, coffee and water.
The group also said "there might even be some free samples and tasters on offer when the chefs in house are testing and developing dishes for their new menus".
The concept is being trialled initially in five of its locations, including 100 Wardour Street, Bluebird Chelsea and White City, Fiume and Radici, "resulting in restaurants that are full throughout quieter times, where the space may not otherwise be fully utilised". The concept is then planned to be rolled out to other restaurants.
D&D's Des Gunewardena said: "There's been a big shift in the way Londoners operate day-to-day. I myself am hardly ever in our office and I've certainly noticed more people using our restaurant spaces to work in and while other operators are trying to combat that, we thought why not embrace it? Introducing the Workroom initially into five of our restaurants will hopefully make them busier during quieter times through the week and also bring in a new audience who may not have visited before."
Sadowska added: "We are pushing the boundaries and challenging the old norms to serve this new crowd of modern professionals. The idea behind the Workroom is about ‘redefining the work space', as well as redefining what ‘work' is."
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