Hi, I'm Ben.
I've been working from cafés since 2014. I'm an architect, and somewhere between studio deadlines and freelance projects, cafés became my office. I loved it - the noise, the energy, the random conversations that made the day feel less like work.
But over the years, the vibe shifted. More cafés started banning laptops. Signs went up. I felt less welcome, and never quite sure how much I was expected to spend to justify the seat.
In 2023, after watching the tension between cafés and remote workers grow worse post-pandemic, I decided to build the thing I'd been wishing existed for five years. Not a coworking space. Not another café finder. Something that makes working from cafés actually work - for everyone.
Co•fé is that thing.
Ben Schönenstein
Founder & CEO
Architect turned founder. Solo-built the product, brand, and community. Has been working from cafés for over a decade.
Steven Rohles
Strategic Operations Advisor
Operations and sustainability background across Germany and Canada. Keeps the moving parts moving - partnerships, processes, and the operational side of growth.
Remote work changed everything except the places we work from.
Cafés are caught between welcoming remote workers and protecting their atmosphere. Remote workers are caught between wanting community and not wanting to impose.
Co•fé exists to make both sides work. Structured access for cafés. Genuine belonging for the people who sit in them. Technology that brings people into the same room - then gets out of the way.
We're not building a social network. We're building something that makes real encounters possible again.
We don't have open positions right now. But we're always open to meeting people who feel connected to what we're building.
If you care about the future of remote work, independent cafés, or community-driven technology - say hi.