Josh Shear
Your Take: Places to bring colleagues and clients
My post on places to bring colleagues and clients got a bunch of reaction on LinkedIn. I said Freedom of Espresso in Franklin Square, , , and .
Here was the LinkedIn response. [Note: After I created this post, more comments were added, so they didn't make it. Be sure to check out the group for more!]
Links to some of these places:
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Your Take: Coffee Shops to Work From
The brief 5 places... series received a bunch of feedback. Wow! So now we're going to do your takes for the next few days.
My 5 coffee shops to work from were , , and two Freedom of Espresso stores.
On LinkedIn, Jill hadn't previously heard of Kubal, and Bob pointed out that it's really small. Glenn suggested the Route 57 Starbucks:
Other places that came up in comments:
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• Freedom of Espresso's other two locations
• The cafe at Syracuse University's
5 Places to Bring Colleagues and Clients in the Syracuse Area
After my post last week about coffee shops to work at in the Syracuse area, asked if I'd write a post about places to bring colleagues and clients:
So here we are.
1. Freedom of Espresso, Franklin Square. OK, this was on my coffee shop list, too, but that makes sense, right? I sort of use it as an office sometimes, and this store is convenient to downtown, but outside of the bustle. And did I mention there's a hot dog cart across the street at lunch time? Well, when the weather supports it, anyway.
2. Alto Cinco. , for you non-Spanish speakers out there, translates literally to "high five." If you need another reason to bring a client or colleague, try it yourself first. The atmosphere is cozy (they've avoided expansion though they could easily fill a room three times that size), the food is really good, and if you need a wine recommendation, they're right there for you. Bonus: It's across the street from so you can grab some joe or hot chocolate on your way out. No wifi at the restaurant, but it's a good spot for a meeting anyway.
3. Edward Thomas Cigar. OK, this is kind of a boys' club. As in I'm not really sure they'd know how to react if a woman walked in (any volunteers?). But 's new digs are pretty sweet. Most of the space is now members-only; really a ploy to let people bring in some booze. There's a non-member smoking lounge with a big TV. There's no alcohol allowed and the wifi is weak back there. The rest of the place, however, has a strong wifi signal and members can bring a cocktail and a guest or two. The space includes a large room with a dozen flat panel TVs and leather recliners; computer carrels; a conference room; a poker room; and a more open room with one of those coffee tables with a top that lifts toward you.
4. Al's Wine & Whiskey. made my bars to work from post last week. Pull up one of the couches, or take over the pool table in the back room. If you tip your bartender, s/he might even surrender the back room remote control.
5. Burnet Park. Again, no wifi, but has a , a golf course, a pool, a skating rink, a basketball court and softball fields, in addition to some open space. And if you feel the need for food and drink, both and are within a few blocks.
5 coffee shops to work from in the Syracuse area
Over at Outspoken the other day, wrote about some . Basically, it's how to grab some focus while not being a jackass to other customers, and, more importantly, to the business you're patronizing.
You should read that post, then come back; I'll tell you my favorite coffee shops to work from in the Syracuse area.
1. Recess Coffee. is tucked in the Westcott neighborhood and is open late. There's free on-street parking within a block, although during the school year it can get tough to find parking since the students who rent in the area are stuck parking on the street. They roast their own coffee, and it's clear they're coffee drinkers, because the coffee's really good. They also have creative hot chocolates that bring a lot of people back. They don't have a ton of electricity, so bring a fully charged laptop. And bring headphones; the music can sometimes get a little loud.
2. Freedom of Espresso, Franklin Square. For me, this is the most comfortable of the stores to work from (and one of two to make my top five spots in town). It's comfortable, has electricity all the way along one wall, and, with the exception of the fact that without fail someone will make or take a really loud phone call during the day, it's the quietest cafe in town. The wifi is stable, parking is plentiful, and if you need a little inspiration, there's a statue of Benjamin Franklin across the street and the CreekWalk about 50 steps in the other direction. There's also a hot dog cart at lunchtime. Word.
3. Funk 'n' Waffles. has the strongest coffee in town, and really good food. Seriously, where else in town can you get fried chicken & waffles? They have overstuffed chairs, plenty of electricity, very stable wifi...the only thing that makes me shy away from going there is the parking. It's on the SU hill, so you're either going to pay a fortune for parking or walk a mile. It's great for consolidating trips up there, though.
4. Cafe Kubal. is another place that roasts its own coffee and clearly is run by coffee lovers. They also make brilliant sandwiches. It's open before 8 a.m., which makes it a winner for me, since I like to get going early. There's plenty of free parking, too. Unfortunately, it's tiny, the machines can get loud, and it can get crowded. The electricity per capita is really good, if you can get a seat.
5. Freedom of Espresso, Fayetteville. The only real problem with this store is the wifi is iffy. They have plenty of large leather chairs, and a long counter space in front of the window that is meant to be workspace – it has electricity for every seat, and a space between the counter and the wall for cables. Plenty of free parking next to the store and in the back.
Tomorrow, it being Friday, we'll get your happy hour on with my favorite bars to work from.
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