Written by: Willem Lombard
When the world was struck by COVID-19, many companies had to quickly improvise to save their businesses. Some of us had our lives disrupted and were told to start working from home. For some, this sounded like a wonderful idea: not having to work in a noisy office and calmly sitting at your own desk in the comfort of your own home while working remotely at your own pace.
Then, after a couple of weeks, that euphoric feeling started to slowly fade away when you began to realise that you actually missed the noisiness of the office and being around people. And many of us realised that we are not our own best friends and craved the company of others.
Luckily, lockdown is now behind us, but many companies realised the benefits of having their personnel work from home. Many of those employees adapted by not just staying at home and working in solitude, but also by working remotely. And so, many Pretoria cafés took advantage of that opportunity and adapted their establishments to cater to the remote worker. Here are just some examples of cafés that actually want you to work there.
West Cafe
This café offers four hours of free wifi and has two tables with charging ports for your laptop, but be there early. Those tables can get occupied very quickly. If, however, you have a laptop with enough battery power, then that should not be a problem.
West Cafe does not have an official website, but you can find more information on their Facebook or Instagram pages, or by phoning them on 072 557 3962.
They are situated in Hazelwood and their operating hours are Tuesdays - Saturdays from 07:00 - 21:00, but close at 19:00 on Sundays and Mondays.
Grounded At Echo
Here, you are more than welcome to bring your laptop and make use of their free wifi. They are open on weekdays from 06:00 - 17:00 and weekends from 07:30 - 14:00. They do have charging ports for your laptop, but the use of their wifi and charging ports is conditional on you buying something from them.
Pay for your first cup of small coffee and get one refill for free. The café is quite small and not very noisy. With several schools in the area, it is also an ideal place for teachers to sit and mark papers while enjoying a delicious cappuccino.
Grounded At Echo can be contacted on 075 349 7092, or you can get more information on their Facebook page.
The BrewHub
The BrewHub has free wifi and charging ports at their tables, perfect for the remote worker, and they actually want you to work there.
Situated at 79 Lynnwood Road, The Willows, they create a workspace specifically for remote workers, meetings, and events hosting. They might not have bottomless coffees, but they are pet-friendly, so feel free to bring Fluffy with you to keep you company while you work.
More information on The BrewHub can be found on Instagram and Facebook, or by phoning them on 079 090 6625.
Blos Cafe
Blos Cafe not only wants you to actually work remotely from their establishment, but they also have accommodation available if you don`t feel like going home. They “run in symmetry with Bly @ Blos” luxury bed-and-breakfast.
They have free wifi during the week and charging ports for your laptop at their tables, according to an employee I spoke to. Please make an upfront booking for accommodation if you feel that you might want to stay away from home a bit longer.
You can find out more about Blos Cafe on their website or Facebook page, or by phoning them on 082 466 2857.
JulieBean Artisan Coffee
JulieBean is situated in Lynnpark Centre, 344 Lynnwood Road, and is an excellent place to take your laptop and work remotely for a couple of hours. Besides making some of the best cappuccinos I`ve ever had, they provide 3-4 hours of free wifi and two charging ports so that your laptop doesn`t run out of battery power.
After your work is done, why not reward yourself with a job-well-done treat by trying a slice of their delicious cakes? They also sell a variety of coffee beans, which you can take home afterwards.
For more information, phone them on 083 299 8580 or visit their Instagram profile. They are open from Mondays to Fridays from 06:00 - 16:00, Saturdays from 07:00 - 14:00, and closed on Sundays.