Working from home has become the norm for many employees.
The pandemic left people locked inside, taking meetings on zoom, and getting tasks done in their pyjamas. Since then, many companies shut their office premises or decided to mix up employees’ week with a mixture of office and home working. While many are fond of this modern way, there’s no doubt others are feeling that cabin fever.
Some people love that feeling of heading out to an office but may not have the option. But bank Santander decided to open their own swanky workspace to fill that void.
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The Santander Work Cafe, based in Park Row, is a place to "brew some fresh ideas" and offers "not the same old daily grind". Inside there are free co-working desks, bookable meeting rooms. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am until 4.30pm.
There is a café serving a variety of hot drinks, including speciality coffees, as well as soft drinks. There is free water for all workers and Santander customers get 30 per cent off food and drink.
While LeedsLive luckily do have an office in Leeds for me to work from, it is a little far from where I live, and I have always wondered if the Santander work hub is worth using as it is so convenient. When I walked in I was greeted by friendly staff who told me a little about the hub which made me feel comfortable and welcomed.
I asked, "how much it is to work here?" before a staff member smiled and said, "it's completely free". With the rising cost of living crisis affecting many people and paying their bills, I think the Santander Work Café is a wonderful place to go to escape life working from home, where there is fast Wi-Fi, heating, and plenty of space to plug in electronics if you are worried about raking up your energy bills. I would definitely recommend it to anyone struggling.
Although it is pretty fancy inside there is a really relaxed vibe and I felt comfortable straight away thanks to the lovely staff who were really helpful. I worked on the main floor area where there are large desk with a number of plug sockets and places to charge phones, tablets, and cameras.
There was quite a few people working too but it didn't feel cramped at all or like people were looking over my shoulder. I had plenty of room to myself - perfect.
On the right side of the main room there are a number of meeting rooms named after popular places around the world, such the 'Madrid meeting room'. I loved the inspirational quotes all over the walls - albeit cheesy - reading 'the path to success begins with the first step' or 'work transforms talent into genius'.
I instantly felt like I was walking into a luxury corporate office with stunning furniture and busybodies typing away on their keyboards or making a deal over the phone. A TV was on showing the latest news around the UK, and chilled music playing helped me focus.
Having spent many a silent hour in a library back in my university days, I know sometimes really quiet spaces can make you feel a bit uneasy. I think the Santander café offers a perfect balance of being able to work in peace, and allowing people to feel comfortable to make calls or hold online meetings. I logged onto my laptop and while it took a few minutes to work, the Wi-Fi was really fast.
Of course I couldn't resist getting a drink at the café. I ordered a sparkling water (now I feel professional) as well as vanilla latte. There's nothing like a sip of coffee when you're feeling lethargic on a Friday afternoon, but my gosh, this coffee was good.
People are also able to just pop into the café for a drink or snack and don't have to work - a great idea if you're running around all day and want a break but in perhaps a quieter space than your typical city centre coffee shop. While you are able to take your own food in staff ask if customers could preferably buy food and drink from the café.
I really enjoyed my afternoon at the Santander Café and would recommend it to anyone wanting to escape working from home or trying to focus.
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