Space-squatting

01 : 07 : 2016 Spacious : Workplace Futures : Freelancers

New York – The co-working phenomenon is expanding to restaurant spaces that are not used during the day in a bid to tackle urban inefficiencies.

  • Start-up Spacious provides space hosts and free coffee, opening up restaurants before 5:00pm service begins
  • It estimates that more than 2,000 restaurants are closed during the day in Manhattan and Brooklyn alone
Spacious, New York Spacious, New York
Spacious, New York Spacious, New York
Spacious, New York Spacious, New York
Spacious, New York Spacious, New York

Co-working spaces have been one of the great success stories of recent years, from the US-founded £12bn ($16bn, €14.3bn) WeWork to the UK’s challenger brand Second Home. Existing offers tend to retain the office model of purpose-built spaces, but New York-based start-up Spacious does things differently.

Founded to tackle the issue of unused space in our urban centres, Spacious works with dinner-only restaurants to create appealing co-working spaces that would otherwise be empty during the day. Access to Spacious is available for £71.40 ($95, €85) per month, or £21.80 ($29, €26) per day, and users can also invite one guest per hour for free, with additional guests costing £4.50 ($6, €5.40) each per hour.

Spacious describes the concept as a reprogramming of urban space and plans to roll it out to other urban spaces that are inefficiently used. Host spaces will be carefully screened to ensure a high-quality co-working experience.

The Big Picture

Space-squatting was a trend that we spotted as part of Symbiotic Branding back in 2012, and is coming to fruition now.

Discover More Daily Signals
How Norway’s Consumer Council is fighting back against enshittification

Daily Signals

How Norway’s Consumer Council is fighting back against enshittification

The Norwegian Consumer Council has launched a satirical film campaign to accompany its new report on the deterioration of digital products and serv...
Technology : Value : Sustainability
Is fashiontainment the future of retail loyalty?

Daily Signals

Is fashiontainment the future of retail loyalty?

Fashion retailer Gap Inc has launched Encore, a loyalty programme designed to connect fashion, entertainment and cultural experiences across its po...
Fashion : Retail : Gap
Stat: Gen Z faces a widening gender divide

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z faces a widening gender divide

A survey of 23,000 people in 29 countries suggests that Gen Z men hold more traditional views on gender roles than older generations, revealing a c...
Society : Gen Z : Statistc
ITB Berlin 2026: Regenerative hospitality takes centre stage

Daily Signals

ITB Berlin 2026: Regenerative hospitality takes centre stage

On the final day of ITB Berlin 2026, speakers highlighted regenerative hospitality as the next frontier for luxury travel, calling for a shift from...
Travel : Hospitality : Sustainability
Foresight Friday, Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday, Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst ...
Fashion : Media : Interactive Runway
Stat: Luxury consumers set to boost wellness spending

Daily Signals

Stat: Luxury consumers set to boost wellness spending

According to The New Wellness Ecosystem report by Karla Otto and Phronesis Partners, 60% of luxury consumers in ...
Wellness : Luxury : Statistic
ITB Berlin 2026: Balancing ambient technology with off-grid experiences

Daily Signals

ITB Berlin 2026: Balancing ambient technology with off-grid experiences

Insights and event coverage from day two of ITB Berlin 2026. 
Travel : Itb Berlin : Hospitality
Retail Week x The Grocer: UK retail’s regional, immersive and fan-led future

Daily Signals

Retail Week x The Grocer: UK retail’s regional, immersive and fan-led future

At the Business Design Centre in London, industry professionals gathered for this year’s edition of Live: Retail Week x The Grocer, an event aimed ...
Global Events : Retail : Community
Stat: America enters its unretirement era

Daily Signals

Stat: America enters its unretirement era

The dream of retirement is slipping out of reach as rising living costs push older Americans back into the workforce.
Work : Retirement : Statistic
ITB Berlin 2026: New world order signals rising risk for global tourism

Daily Signals

ITB Berlin 2026: New world order signals rising risk for global tourism

Germany – ITB Berlin is the world’s leading travel trade show and at this year’s event former German politician Joseph Martin ‘Joschka’ Fischer del...
Travel : Itb Berlin : Global Events
You have 2 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN