The Rise of the Café Commute

As the lines blur between work, socialising, and wellbeing, London’s restaurants and cafes are quietly becoming the new boardrooms, breakout spaces and brainstorming hubs for thousands of entrepreneurs and startups.

New research commissioned by Tristan Capital Partners confirms what many central Londoners have long suspected: that the business lunch is back; but  now it comes with a laptop and loyalty card. The data reveals that over one in ten business owners (11%) regularly work from restaurants and cafés when in central London, with this figure climbing to nearly a fifth (19%) for those running micro-businesses with fewer than ten employees.

The Evolution of the Hotdesk 

While 85% of the capital’s business community still use office space, there’s a clear shift towards flexibility. The popularity of third spaces - those informal, inviting venues between home and office - is growing, not just for their food and coffee, but as places where ideas flow, meetings happen, and deals are done.

This evolution is partly cultural, partly practical. London is home to 1,400 coworking spaces, but for smaller businesses without the budget or need for a permanent desk, a well-placed restaurant and café offers a more accessible and arguably more enjoyable alternative. Add in a decent flat white or a lovely pasta with free Wi-Fi, and the appeal becomes obvious.

Bloomsbury’s Sicilian Avenue, set to reopen soon after a major restoration, is a microcosm of this shift. As one of London’s oldest pedestrianised avenues, it was once a historic shopping street that is perfectly positioned between the bustling Holborn and busy British Museum, bookended by London’s oldest square, Bloomsbury Square. Now, it’s being reimagined as a go-to destination for high-quality food, drink, and connection that addresses these demands to become a place for creative, serene and joyful experiences - particularly when dining. - The pedestrianised avenue will host a curated mix of independent restaurants and cafes with al fresco seating tapping into the desire for venues that nourish both the body and business. And with 95% of surveyed business owners and workers saying they’d be likely to visit, the interest is more than just a passing curiosity.

People Want the Community and are Loyal to High Quality Experiences

Millennials and Gen Z are leading the charge in mixing work with lifestyle with high quality dining experiences with 60% of respondents saying they're now more likely to seek these than they were in 2019. It’s not just about grabbing a sandwich between Zoom calls - it’s about building routines that feel good, reflect personal values, and support local communities. Gen Z have grown up with flexible working as the norm, the rest of the world enjoyed it doing the pandemic – and no one wants that freedom taken away.

But this can’t just be a quick sandwich meal deal. This appetite for quality is evident across the board. 70% of London’s business people say service quality is key when choosing where to eat, while nearly half say that location and vibe matter just as much. VIP loyalty schemes, sustainability credentials, and clean, calm environments are all increasingly part of the decision-making mix.

The Working Lunch, Wellbeing and Pedestrianisation

Business meetings over lunch are on the rise. Owners are seventeen per cent more likely than employees to meet clients in cafés or restaurants - not surprising when you consider the creative, collaborative energy a buzzing brunch table can bring compared to a cold conference room.

There’s a wellbeing angle, too. The chance to step outside, get some fresh air, enjoy human connection and feel part of the city’s rhythm is a major draw. Pedestrianised areas like Sicilian Avenue are especially appealing. 71% of business owners and workers say they’re more likely to eat and drink in traffic-free zones, not just for the peace, but for the sense of presence it brings.

This supports the step many London boroughs are taking where councils are investing in low-traffic neighbourhoods and walkable city spaces. Places that were once overlooked are being reinvigorated, not just as retail destinations, but as environments that encourage footfall, dwell time and, ultimately, spend.

Entrepreneurs and micro-business owners are financially savvy and seek intimate, creative places that respect individual space but also encourage connections. The opening of Sicilian Avenue reflects this - a space designed to complement the ebb and flow of modern work, not constrain it.

For businesses, this matters. Whether you’re running a one-person consultancy or a growing startup, how and where you work shapes your brand, your wellbeing and your productivity. And for the hospitality industry, the rise of the café commute is a welcome shift. These venues aren’t just competing for lunchtime trade anymore - they’re becoming essential infrastructure for the freelance economy and the post-pandemic professional class.

Of course, this is not a rejection of the office, rather a broadening of what work looks like. The return of the working lunch, the rise of the mobile meeting, the normalisation of not being chained to a desk -  are all part of a wider recalibration.

In a city like London, where time is tight and creativity is currency, that third space - between the formality of the boardroom and the solitude of home - might just be where the best business gets done.