We’re all familiar with fast food chains, where everything is about speed. Customers are given their food as quickly as possible so they can eat on the go. Dining in is made as quick as possible to get customers in and out and serve as many people as possible. But how about a café that encourages you to stay as long as you want but charges you for your time? One Fat Frog has just learned of this new concept and it’s intriguing.
The café in question is Ziferblat (Russian for “clock face”) and it is located in London, England. The concept is simple. Customers are not charged for any food that they eat or beverages that they drink. All of that is on the house. There are comfortable areas in the café set up for customers to hang out, work, or do some networking. Again, this is all complementary. However, you are charged for every minute you spend in the café. Customers are given a clock when they enter the café, which they hand in when they leave. They are then charged £3 per minute for the time they spend in Ziferblat.
This radical idea is the brainchild of Russian entrepreneur Ivan Mitin. Though Ziferblat is new to the UK, it has 9 chains now operating in Russia and one in the Ukraine. Mitin has long looked at unique business models when it comes to funding. He originally ran a project where customers in his cafes would write “pocket poetry” to be shared throughout the city. The customers were not charged anything for hanging out in the café and writing poetry and the only money he made was from donations.
Ziferblat has already become wildly popular in London. Some people come to play board games or just sit on the couches and socialize. While there, they make their own coffee and clean up after themselves. They are willing to pay for the time spent there because Ziferblat offers a fun and engaging atmosphere, unlike many of the flats in cramped London where people live. While the Frog can’t say that this business model is a great idea for your restaurant, an important lesson is that people will pay to hang out at your establishment if you provide the proper atmosphere.