Coworking: Coffee shops, shared space beat daily grind

By Ken Levy

Idaho’s numerous coffee shops have frequently become co-work centers for businesses, freelancers and others seeking alternatives to the office grind. Beyond these brew-for-you sites, offsite workers will find a host of fee-based options for co-working with all the amenities.

If it’s fast WiFi you need to get the job done, consider Urban Fox Idaho Coffee & Boba (2970 N. Eagle Road, #100, Meridian). It reportedly has the fastest WiFi out of 38 sites, and has a four-star ranking by workfrom, an online remote-work community (workfrom.co/boise). This site scores dozens of cafes and other public, remote sites based on WiFi speeds, noise levels and other factors.

Locals give high marks to Flying M (flyingmcoffee.com), which has shops in Boise, Nampa and Caldwell, as well as Alchemist Coffee Roasters (alchemistcoffee.com) and Alia’s Coffee House (aliascoffeehouse.com) in Boise.

“Flying M Nampa is my second office,” said Mike Shipman, owner and photographer at Blue Planet Photography.

In Boise, “Alchemist is very quiet,” said Reham Aarti, and Alia’s has space, so it’s “easy to work there, too.”

Dawson’s Coffeehouse and Roasting Co. (219 N. 8th Street) is ranked at three stars and, like most coffee shop-style co-working sites, is rated moderate for noise levels. On Broad Street, three-star espresso shop Form & Function has fast WiFi and many plugs available, but tends to be noisy, according to workfrom.co.

Bookstores can also be a good option to accomplish work tasks, including research. The Barnes & Noble Café in Boise, for example, has several tables, free WiFi, and plugins for small-group informal co-working spaces, with beverages and treats right at hand.

For a more sophisticated and expanded co-working experience, users may have to look beyond the basics toward facilities designed to fit high-end technological requirements.

“Meridian Library’s unBound stands out as a co-working option,” said Daniel Holmes, manager of the Boise office of the Idaho Department of Labor. unBound offers informal shared meeting space that can facilitate hybrid meetings and collaboration, equipped with refrigerator and microwave; a formal conference room; flexible workspace; a lounge with café seating for informal meetings; and assistance with ideas, equipment operation and training to businesses.

“In past times, libraries have provided tools and resources in the form of books, DVDs, computer internet access, but as technology and society changes, libraries are changing along with them,” said Nick Grove, unBound manager, in an introductory video. “As we looked, we wanted to see how we could make these technologies more available. We took aspects of maker spaces, digital design labs and business help centers, and we combined those into something that was custom built for the Meridian community. We offer a lot of emerging technologies, such as 3D printing, CNC machining, laser engraving and laser etching. We are continually watching for new technologies.”

A sound studio is available, with everything needed to start recording a podcast. Visit mld.org/locations/unbound for details and fees.

There is a range of other co-working options, from organizations such as Trailhead, Wheelhouse, Kiln, Office Evolution and others, offering various fee-based facilities.

“Trailhead features a collaborative and inclusive coworking space, that we then wrap with educational programing, mentorship and experiential learning programs,” said Tiam Rastegar, Trailhead CEO and executive director.

The 501(c)3 nonprofit supports community entrepreneurs and businesses by helping startups to launch, providing workshops, mentorships and job-creation opportunities. The organization’s membership is comprised of more than 350 inventors, creators and businesses. Members get access to their downtown Boise offices, with internet and printing services among others, depending on the plan they select.

Community workspace The Coalition, in Bonners Ferry (thecoalitionbf.com) is a membership-driven co-workspace “dedicated to building community around entrepreneurship and skill-sharing,” said Tim Garcia, founder.

“I started The Coalition shortly after moving to Bonners Ferry in 2017, as a simple networking group, with the intention of meeting other like-minded people. In 2021, The Coalition opened a small co-work office downtown,” he said. It soft-opened its current location north of town in late 2023. Garcia said the 7,500-square-foot facility includes nearly a dozen private offices, two conference rooms, open lounge spaces, private phone booths, a fully-stocked kitchen/snack bar, warehouse space and open-desk seating.

The facility offers “blazing fast” WiFi, dedicated private offices and desks, lounge spaces and conference rooms, a podcast studio and printer access, among other amenities.

But “all private offices are currently accounted for,” Garcia said, and a waitlist is established for those seeking one. Conference rooms can be rented for a few hours, and day-passes for open-desk seating may be available. Minimal staffing is available.

“For the most part, the building is pretty automated,” he said.

Either way, the co-working environment is poised to remain one of the fastest-growing industries going forward, according to financialexpress.com.