Ziferblat

Ziferblat (free space) is an international pay per minute "Sitting Room" concept, where guests pay for the time spent there, rather than the food. This shared space was the first of its kind in the world.^[1][2]

The guests are welcome to unlimited teas, cakes, coffees, biscuits, fruits, soft drinks, breads, cereals, yoghurts, snacks, cookies, brownies, toasties and more. Decorated in the style of a living room, guests clock in and out at the desk on entry and are encouraged to treat the space like home. Typically, the public "Sitting Room" space includes boardgames, newspapers, Wi-Fi, a mixture of soft and hard furnishings, a piano, a library and craft supplies. ^[3]

History

The name Ziferblat is derived from Zifferblatt, clock face in Russian and German. Ziferblat was first opened in September 2011 in Moscow. The creator of the "anti-café" concept is Ivan Mitin. Ziferblat’s prototype was a common space called Tree House.^[4] Tree House was founded by Mitin in 2010 and the system of free donation continues there. Ziferblat is an attempt, according to its creator, to formalize the relationship between the guest and the place by using the pay-per-minute system.

Concept

The main concept of Ziferblat is not only to use an unusual pay system, but to create a space cushy as home where it’s comfortable for you to work and to entertain as well, a place where it’ll be easy to meet new people. One of the main Ziferblat’s features is a tendency to allow the guest to be autonomous, if you want you can become a part of the process: cook food and make drinks at the common kitchen, organize events. People aren’t paying for consumption; we pay for the space and they pay for the time, so it’s about participation.

— Ivan Mitin, owner of the chain

Location

Russia

Moscow ^[5][6] Saint Petersburg,^[7] Kazan,^[8][9] Nizhny Novgorod,^[10] Rostov-on-Don^[11]

United Kingdom

Manchester,^[12][13] Liverpool,^[14][15] London^[16]

Ukraine

Kiev^[17]

Slovenia

Ljubljana^[18]

Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar ^[19]

Ziferblat in the UK

In the UK, Ziferblat now has branches in Manchester, Media City, Liverpool and London and plans to open more in other provincial cities across the country. With their community atmosphere and guest driven culture, their model acts as an alternative to a cafe or coworking space. ^[20]

Ziferblat's acts as a key part of the sharing economy, which created businesses such as AirBnB and Uber.^[21] During their first 2 years in the UK, Ziferblat has been shortlisted for and won multiple awards including the Innovation Award at the Cafe Life Awards and New Business of The Year in the National Business Awards (shortlist). ^{[22] [23]}

Coworking

Ziferblat created the first pay per minute coworking space in the world. The public sitting room space acts as an alternative to working from home on a super flexible basis (by the minute). Discounted monthly memberships are available, however many "Ziferblatters" choose to drop in as and when they desire. Popular among freelance workers, professionals and creatives, Ziferblat offers a day cap that allows workers to pay for 4 hours and stay for the whole day. Ziferblat has been used as a key example of how modern working patterns are changing, particularly in urban areas. ^{[24] [25]}

Meeting Rooms and Events

Ziferblat created the first pay per minute meeting rooms in the world. Each branch has a variety of creative spaces businesses can rent for meetings or activities which would have been typical held in a hotel or a conference centre. Some of the Ziferblat meeting room styles include a primary school classroom, a chintzy vintage dining room and other quirky themes. The pay per minute rate includes all technical equipment, Wi-Fi and unlimited Zifer-kitchen treats. This new approach to working has proven incredibly popular with SMEs, charities, public sector organisations and global companies. ^{[26] [27] [28]}

Ziferblat uses open events to grow its community including yoga, martial arts, guitar lessons, caligraphy classes, talks, gigs, pop up food events, coworking sessions, art classes, knitting clubs, creative writing groups, comic book clubs, tai chi, language classes, meditation and more. These classes either employ the Ziferblat pay per minute rate or are charged at a ticket price which incorporates the ticket fee.

Gallery

• Ziferblat's public sitting rooms area where guests are paying by the minute to use the space.
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See also

• Cafeteria
• Coffee service

References

External links

• Official website
• Official UK website