I reside in Seattle and am lucky to have an abundance of nice espresso store choices. So you possibly can think about my shock after I just lately realized a kind of choices is obtainable by a significant nationwide financial institution and bank card issuer.
The Capital One Café is a espresso store positioned within the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle. I’ve lived close by for over a yr and handed by it usually, questioning who even goes to this place. There have to be a minimum of two dozen different espresso retailers inside a mile radius. Absolutely, a espresso store that resembles a financial institution department couldn’t compete, proper?
As a bank cards author, I lastly determined it was my obligation to search out out. So within the late morning on a latest Friday, I grabbed my laptop computer and went to work from Capital One Café to see what it’s all about. The expertise stunned me in a great way. Let me clarify.
What on the earth is the Capital One Café, anyway?
In the event you go by the financial institution’s web site, you’ll discover that the Capital One Café is “a group house the place you possibly can are available in — chill out and recharge — whether or not you financial institution with us or not.” I’ve discovered this to be correct, but it surely doesn’t precisely paint an image. So let me do this for you.
The massive home windows of the espresso store opened onto the road to let within the breeze and daylight seeping by way of tree branches. The 2-storeyed house felt like a millennial’s dream: subway tile and polished concrete flooring, the grit of commercial fixtures softened by the heat of sunshine wooden, trendy furnishings and a playlist from the 2000s. That final half made me smile to myself. I used to be the audience.
I’d anticipated the cafe to be reasonably empty at this hour — the morning rush had handed, and it was too early for lunch. Nonetheless, I needed to wait in line for a couple of minutes, which allowed me to review the menu. The cafe served Verve espresso, craft espresso roasted in California, in addition to a number of meals objects. These, in fact, included avocado toast. (Millennials, bear in mind?) I ordered an iced honey lavender latte with oat milk. It was priced at $7.25, however I solely paid $4.55 with taxes as a result of I used my Capital One SavorOne Money Rewards Credit score Card. Whereas everyone seems to be welcome on the cafe, Capital One debit and credit score cardholders get 50 % off drinks.
After I bought my espresso, I sat down at a protracted, bar-height desk with shops and linked my work laptop computer to the free Wi-Fi. I seen a Capital One consultant talking to one of many patrons. Speaking bank cards with a cup of espresso? I could possibly be into that.
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At this level, my buddy — who’s habitually late to all the pieces — joined me.
“Oh my god,” I instructed her, tasting my espresso, “that is…good. You should strive it.”
And so she did, coming to the identical conclusion. In the meantime, I seen we weren’t the one ones coworking. The cafe was filling up with individuals on their laptops, some in teams, others on their very own.
It’s not only a financial institution department with espresso and snacks, I spotted. It’s additionally a bit greater than only a espresso store with some financial institution advertising and marketing tossed in. It’s a wonderful coworking hub. And judging by the variety of individuals I noticed throughout my go to, there seems to be demand for this distinctive institution.
A coworking house I didn’t know I wanted
As soon as I used to be carried out with my latte, I gave myself slightly tour. Part of the cafe was devoted to assembly areas. I noticed a number of small nooks presently working on a first-come first-serve foundation. The plaques on the sliding glass doorways knowledgeable me that quickly, Capital One prospects will be capable to reserve these areas by way of the financial institution’s app. The issuer’s spokesperson instructed me this characteristic was within the pilot stage and anticipated to roll out to extra cafes.
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The cafe additionally has a few bigger assembly rooms geared up with screens. These do require a reservation. It’s free to order a room, however they’re solely obtainable to nonprofit, pupil and alumni organizations.
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My tour made me need to come again to the cafe someday. I work at home and really a lot favor it that means — writing requires a whole lot of focus. However cabin fever is an actual factor, so I prefer to get out and work from some place else each occasionally. Nevertheless, not each espresso store gives workplace different. I can’t let you know what number of instances I eyed a sole outlet another person was utilizing as my laptop computer was about to die. Or felt embarrassed in a gathering as a result of my earphones would decide up all of the background noise, which drowned out my voice. Oh, and sandwiches from the fridge? Horrible.
Capital One Café suits the wants of somebody like me completely. It appears the issuer considered all the pieces: from the abundance of shops to areas to take your Zoom calls to meals and drinks to maintain you fueled.
Talking of meals, the menu contained solely a handful of things, however I used to be pleasantly stunned. My buddy ordered the Signature Breakfast Membership and ushered me to do the identical. I did — it was a really first rate sandwich. The dijonnaise sauce positively hit the spot.
Get a espresso — and free monetary recommendation
Coworking and snacks are usually not the place the cafe choices finish. In response to a Capital One spokesperson, “The Capital One Cafés are designed to reimagine the banking expertise by empowering everybody to really feel extra assured with their relationship with cash and stress much less about their monetary journeys.” Capital One Café presently has over 50 areas unfold throughout 19 states. They provide companies targeted on monetary literacy and entry, together with numerous applications and workshops.
Listed below are the sorts of group companies you’ll find at cafes:
Banking
Capital One Café can present a number of the typical department expertise. For instance, my native cafe has ambassadors obtainable that will help you handle your current accounts, chat about new accounts you possibly can open and even talk about making use of for an auto mortgage.
As I’ve talked about, there’s additionally a Capital One ATM to make a deposit or get money.
Cash & Life Program
I discover this one very thrilling. Cash & Life is a free program designed that will help you construct your monetary path. It pairs you with an authorized coach to create a personalised plan for reaching your cash objectives. You possibly can rise up to a few 60-minute periods with a mentor to determine your monetary priorities, roadblocks and subsequent steps.
Capital One additionally gives on-line instruments, reminiscent of monetary workout routines and on-demand movies masking numerous monetary subjects.
Workshops
Capital One typically organizes workshops to assist the communities by which its cafes function.
For example, the issuer’s spokesperson shared with me that Capital One hosted a sequence of workplace hours at cafes throughout the nation in partnership with the Nationwide Faculty Attainment Community (NCAN). Throughout these workshops, NCAN volunteers walked college students by way of the faculty software course of, answered their questions and mentioned the latest adjustments to the applying.
The issuer has prolonged this partnership and is planning extra occasions at cafes throughout the nation by way of the top of August.
Freebie occasions
Cafes host community-building and monetary occasions. You possibly can take part at your native cafe or watch an occasion on-line.
For instance, the Capital One web site presently lists MLB Mondays, the place you may get a free 12 oz. drip espresso from any cafe on Mondays in the course of the 2024 MLB season. Or, by way of Sept. 1, you possibly can cease by a Capital One Café to enter the Island Getaway Sweepstakes for an opportunity to win a four-night, five-day journey for 2 to Turtle Bay Resort in O’ahu, Hawaii.
Cardholder exclusives
For a number of the occasions, you’ll want a Capital One card. These are shared immediately with prospects primarily based on their communication preferences. For instance, previously, Capital One provided cocktail-making courses at some cafe areas (enjoyable!) and even a possibility to win Taylor Swift live performance tickets.
The underside line
To be trustworthy, at the same time as a loyal Capital One cardholder, I discovered the concept of a bank-run cafe gimmicky. I didn’t count on a lot from it — however I used to be pleasantly stunned. For these searching for a brand new coffeehouse to work from, I like to recommend testing your native cafe when you’ve got one close by.
My expertise made me want extra issuers made an effort to attach with the communities they serve. Third locations are necessary, and if one gives good espresso and free cash recommendation, I’m all for it.
