Pourt is both a retro, hybrid coffee shop and working space located in the heart of Cooper Square. Here’s the catch though: customers have to pay-per-hour after the first hour to stay. Designed for working New Yorkers who are willing to pay a bit extra in exchange for both the amenities of a modernistic work area and the snug comfort of a cafe, Pourt caters to independent freelancers, students, or ambitious individuals who are running on their own schedules.
The cafe workspace opened its doors in January and is essentially a two-man show, managed by Matt Tervooren, 28, and Mike Kruszewski, 27, who are former college classmates.
Kruszewski said when he was a student, he would use traditional cafes as workspaces regularly.
“The cafe was my library, but there were a lot of drawbacks,” said Kruszewski. “From unreliable wifi, to cramped tables and spaces, no outlets, loud music, and so on. On the other end, when I went to coworking spaces, a lot of them were ‘use it or lose it’ memberships that felt like signing a lease.”
Since its opening, Pourt has undergone a grand total of six changes, experimenting with various ideas including bottomless coffee and day passes. Its current offer is that with a customer’s purchase, he or she is entitled to an hour and can use the space however they want to without charge. After an hour, there is a table charge of six dollars per hour.
Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, Pourt accommodates customers who invest in the space, offering Mac and iPhone chargers, 18 individual desks with multiple outlets, high-speed Internet, and a conference room that can be reserved for a fee.
However, not all New Yorkers are fond of the idea of paying for a space that might be accessible for free elsewhere. Frank, who attends New York University, walked out of the cafe after reading Pourt’s policies.
“You have to pay? That’s messed up,” said Frank. “I have access to a student library with free wifi and plenty of space. It makes sense from a business standpoint, but I personally would never pay for it especially since I live so nearby.”
Kruszewski said that while he strives to bring the best of both worlds to the space, he cannot please all of his customers and stop charging for the costly space altogether.
“Ultimately, it’s about the tension between cafe customers and owners,” said Kruszewski. “Customers have become entitled to viewing cafes as public spaces, where they can sit there all day with one black coffee. While we want to cater to our customers’ needs and desires, we can’t be something to everybody.”
Given that six times wasn’t enough change for Tervooren and Kruszewski, they announced that in about a month, they will be rebranding as a more intimate winery workspace after six PM for working professionals who want to wind down and work in a calmer setting.
“I used to work in finance and the hours were very demanding,” said Kruszewski. “There were nights when I had work to do, but wanted to get some fresh air outside of my apartment, have a glass of wine, and work from my laptop. We’re going to dim the lights after six, and re-expand hours to 10PM for those working professionals.”
Pourt also plans to start a delivery service, opening up as many avenues as possible.
“Regardless of what day and time it is, we just want Pourt to feel casual, like a third place away from home or the office, where you are comfortable in your own space, but also surrounded by the togetherness of the presence of others,” said Tervooren.
Autumn Parfait and Pourt Salad Images from Pourt Website