The idea of a mixed-use space isn’t new; however, the execution of the types of mixed use has been gaining in popularity!

Let’s face it: commercial rents are high, and cafe buildouts are expensive. In San Francisco, where I live, commercial rents average $204 per sqft (the national average is $33.11 per sqft). The national buildout average of a cafe is $80-330k. There are two ways to approach this: either you rent the entire space yourself and build out different businesses in it, or you partner with others who are also in need of a space and you become a collective with shared customers. It’s a win-win for everyone in the latter camp. If you have the space, why not join a few other businesses and share the rent?

For a story on tattoos’ prevalence in specialty coffee, I interviewed a cafe owner in Florida who partnered with a tattoo artist in a space that now hosts a cafe, tattoo studio, and art gallery. They told me that they had people who would get a tattoo and then pop over to grab a coffee afterward. Or, they had cafe customers meander over to check out some flash sheets. Combined with the art gallery, the businesses create an immersive art experience that’s rewarding for both them and their customers.

Coffee consumers are ubiquitous; you can find an overlap between them and nearly any brick-and-mortar storefront. The multi-purpose space idea doesn’t mean that you create a serve-yourself coffee station. Instead, it capitalizes on a marketing strategy of sharing similar customers.

Another example is the laundromat cafe, like the one that was founded in Copenhagen or another in San Francisco. People at a laundromat spend at least two hours there, waiting for their laundry to be done. And what do they do during this time? They read, maybe do some work, or stare aimlessly out, and people watch (nothing wrong with that!). These people are already there, almost trapped in a sense, for a few hours. Housing a cafe in the same space offers an amenity to existing laundromat customers and, conversely, introduces cafe customers to the laundromat.

For already established businesses, you can dedicate a corner for an espresso bar, like Stein’s Deli in New Orleans. Throughout the years, they’ve worked with emerging coffee businesses that later go on to open their own location. It’s low overhead for coffee companies since you don’t have to build out the space.

Some other unique combinations I’ve seen include a woodworking studio for kids with a walk-up cafe window, a self-portrait studio cafe, and a dog bakery & human cafe. Dreaming big and taking the risk of combining unconventional businesses into one space can be incredibly beneficial for everyone involved.

This article was written as part of my brand ambassador work with HostMilano.