I live in Seattle and am fortunate to have a ton of great coffee shop options, so you can imagine my surprise when I recently discovered that one of those options is offered by a major national bank and credit card issuer.
Capital One Cafe is a coffee shop in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. I’ve lived nearby for over a year and often pass by the store, wondering why anyone would go there. There must be at least two dozen coffee shops within a one-mile radius. A coffee shop that resembles a bank branch can’t compete, right?
As a credit card writer, I finally decided it was my duty to find out. So late one recent Friday morning, I grabbed my laptop, showed up to work at the Capital One Café, and decided to find out what it was all about. The experience pleasantly surprised me. Let me explain.
First of all, what exactly is a Capital One Cafe?
If you look at the bank’s website, you’ll see that Capital One Cafés are “community spaces where customers, whether they bank with us or not, can stop by to relax and recharge.” While I think that’s accurate, it doesn’t paint an accurate picture. Let me explain.
The coffee shop’s large windows face the street, letting in a gentle breeze and sunlight filtering in through the tree branches. The two-story space reads like a millennial’s dream: subway tile and polished concrete floors, the roughness of industrial fixtures softened by the warmth of light wood, modern furniture, and a ’00s playlist. That last bit made me smile: I was in the target demographic.
I figured the cafe would be relatively empty at this time of day; the morning rush had passed and it was still early for lunch. I still had to wait in line for a few minutes, which gave me time to peruse the menu. The cafe served Verve coffee, a craft coffee roasted in California, as well as a few other food items, including, of course, avocado toast. (Remember that, millennials?) I ordered an iced honey lavender latte with oat milk. It was $7.25, but I used my Capital One Saver One Cash Rewards credit card, so it was just $4.55 including tax. The cafe is open to the public, but Capital One debit and credit card holders get 50% off drinks.
After getting my coffee, I sat down at a long bar-height table with electrical outlets and connected my work laptop to the free Wi-Fi. I noticed a Capital One representative talking to one of the customers. Talking about credit cards over coffee? Sounds good.
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At this point I was joined by a friend who is always late to everything.
“Oh my goodness,” I told her, savoring my coffee, “this is…”goodPlease give it a try.
And so did she, coming to the same conclusion. Meanwhile, we realized we weren’t the only ones collaborating. The cafe was filling up with people at their laptops, some in groups, some alone.
I realized this isn’t just a bank branch serving coffee and snacks – it’s more than just a coffee shop with a dash of bank marketing thrown in. It’s a great co-working hub – and judging by the number of people I saw during my visit, there seems to be a demand for this unique facility.
The coworking space you didn’t know you needed
After finishing my latte, I took a quick look around the store. Part of the cafe was used as a meeting space, with a few little nooks that were currently open on a first-come, first-served basis. A plaque on the sliding glass door explained that Capital One customers will soon be able to reserve these spaces through the bank’s app. A bank spokesperson said the feature is in the testing phase and will be rolled out to more cafes in the future.
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The cafe also has several larger meeting rooms equipped with screens. These must be reserved. There is no charge for reserving the rooms, but they are only available to non-profit, student, and alumni organizations.
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The tour made me want to come back to this cafe someday. I work from home, which I much prefer. Writing requires a lot of concentration. But I get claustrophobic, so sometimes I want to get out and work somewhere else. But not all coffee shops offer a good alternative to the office. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found the only outlet someone was using when my laptop battery was about to die. I’ve been embarrassed during meetings when my earphones picked up all the noise around me, drowning out my own voice. Oh, and the sandwich I took out of the fridge? That’s the worst.
Capital One Café perfectly caters to the needs of people like me. From the abundance of electrical outlets to the space for Zoom calls to the food and drinks to keep you fuelled, the operators here seem to have thought of everything.
Speaking of food, there were only a handful of items on the menu, but I was pleasantly surprised. My friend ordered the Signature Breakfast Club and encouraged me to order it too, which I did. It was a very tasty sandwich, and the Dijon sauce was definitely the perfect match.
Get free financial advice over coffee
The cafes’ services go beyond coworking and snacks. According to a Capital One spokesperson, “Capital One Cafes are designed to reimagine the banking experience by helping everyone feel confident in their relationship with money and stress free about their financial journey.” Capital One Cafes currently have more than 50 locations in 19 states. They offer a variety of programs, workshops, and other services focused on financial literacy and access.
The types of community services offered at the cafe include:
Banking
A Capital One Café can provide some of the typical branch experience: For example, my local café has ambassadors who can help you manage your existing accounts, chat with you about new accounts you can open, or discuss applying for a car loan.
As mentioned above, there are also Capital One ATMs where you can make deposits and withdraw cash.
Money & Life Program
This is super interesting. Money & Life is a free program designed to help you set your financial path. You’ll be paired with a certified coach to create a personalized plan to reach your money goals. You’ll have up to three 60-minute sessions with your mentor to understand your financial priorities, obstacles, and next steps.
Capital One also offers online tools such as financial exercises and on-demand videos covering a variety of financial topics.
Workshop
Capital One sometimes hosts workshops to support the communities in which it operates its cafes.
For example, a Capital One spokesperson told me that the bank partnered with the National Network for College Admissions (NCAN) to host office hours in cafes across the country. During these workshops, NCAN volunteers guided students through the college application process, answered questions, and discussed recent changes to applications.
The publisher is expanding the partnership with additional events planned at cafes across the country until the end of August.
Free Events
Cafés host community-building and finance events that you can join at your local café or watch online.
For example, Capital One’s website currently features MLB Monday, where you can get a free 12-ounce drip coffee at any cafe on Mondays during the 2024 MLB season. And through September 1, you can stop by a Capital One cafe to enter the Island Getaway Sweepstakes for a chance to win a five-day, four-night trip for two to Turtle Bay Resort on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
Cardholders only
Some events require a Capital One card, and these cards are offered directly to customers based on their communication preferences. For example, in the past Capital One has hosted cocktail-making classes (fun!) in some of its cafes or offered the chance to win Taylor Swift concert tickets.
Conclusion
To be honest, even I, a loyal Capital One cardholder, thought the idea of a bank-run cafe was odd. I didn’t have high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. I would recommend anyone looking for a new coffeehouse to work from to check it out if there is one near you.
My experience has left me wishing more publishers would make an effort to connect with the communities they serve. Third places are important, and if they offer great coffee and free financial advice, I’m all for it.
