The Anti-Café Startup: What a Cool Concept

So amongst the world of tech startups, there are a few successful brick and mortar startups too. I recently came across one such startup, an exciting concept called the Anti-Café. Sort of a strange name for a Café, sounds more like a café where you would rather not want to hang out. I mean why call it Anti? Right!

But there is a pleasant twist, unlike what the name suggests. The Anti Café is a café where you basically ‘Pay for Time Spent BUT Eat and Drink for free’. Yes! You read correctly. You pay for the use of the café with bottomless cups of coffee and tea, with a wide selection of snacks and fruits. And that’s not all, in addition to free drinks and food, you also have access to free wifi, access to a projector, printer, scanner, board games, and ah yes, you can bring your own food and drink too. You can also buy freshly squeezed juice for only 1 euro. Now isn’t that cool! The Anti Café concept is a dream come true for budding entrepreneurs who are looking for trendy, cheap and convenient place to work, hang out or conduct casual meetings.
Literally, “Time is Money” at the Anti Café

So what’s the catch!? Well, would you believe it, there is none, as this café makes money! ‘The Anti-Café charges only 4 euros for the first hour of use and then 3 euros for every subsequent hour. You can also make reservations if you need a table for 6 people. To avoid savant calculation, the daily pricing is limited at 14 euros, if you stay more than 4 hours, you become directly owner of a day pass. And, for real addicts, there is also a monthly pass valid across all Anti Café’s for only 200 euros. You can also book the space for private events at no additional cost.’
The Anti Café also serves as a meeting place with a very active online community, where you can post ads, find partners for projects, advertise jobs, market your product and post an event. It is an extremely popular place with real users.

(Pic Courtesy: Anti-Café, Paris)
In a nutshell, AntiCafé is a shared space designed both for work and fun, which feels like home. You can work on a project or prepare for exams, advance your start-up or even find new team members, chat with friends or play board games. The Anti Café has separate areas for each of these activities. It is also one of the most exciting coffee venues of recent time.

With the success of the concept in Europe, I wonder if something like this will work in Asia. I did hear about one such Anti Café, which opened recently in Hanoi (Vietnam).

We often see many coffee shops, café’s being heavily used for meetings (formal and casual) and by students in particular for doing their homework assignments etc. In the context of this kind of usage of café space, the Anti Café would perhaps provide a better value to the owner as you pay for the time spent, rather than what you pay to eat or drink. Anti Café’s Food and drink don’t require fancy preparation as it is really basic, which is what keeps it simple.

Pic Courtesy: Time Club, Hanoi

Indeed, this cool startup concept is here to stay. I feel, amongst the mundane café’s of today the Anti Café provides a breath of fresh air due to its simplicity, uniqueness and effectiveness amongst users.