Tel Aviv startup seeks to turn pubs into daytime work hubs
Membership in the off-site startup gives companies based in different parts of Israel the opportunity to hold meetings; 'want to take advantage of that empty space and really transform it into something a lot more productive.'
A new Tel Aviv-based startup seeks to transform bars usually shuttered during the day into vibrant working spaces.
Pub Hub, which began operations Monday, rents out popular Tel Aviv pubs to those seeking a working space. Membership includes free coffee, Wi-Fi and office supplies. Memberships are offered on a monthly or bi-weekly basis and include the right to use any of Pub Hub’s multiple locations.
Pub Hub co-founder and CEO Daniel Rubin says, “People are looking for a sense of community or a network. People haven’t been getting that at coffee shops. We are trying to transform bars that are otherwise closed during the day into places where people can come and work. Instead of going to a coffee shop, where you sit, pay, don’t meet anyone, and are in a generally unproductive environment, you can come to us and we will provide that for you.
“We have had interest from big companies who want to use it for off-site meetings,” Rubin continued. “For example, if a company based in Jerusalem wants to have a meeting in Tel Aviv, they can use their membership with us and hold a meeting at one of our sites.”
Rubin, 26, is originally from Los Angeles and currently lives in Jerusalem with his wife. He says that he came up with the idea for the startup while living in New York. “I was working in New York for a Jerusalem-based startup, and all my work was at a shared space,” recounted Rubin. “I would pass by so many interesting looking bars every day and would just wish that I could work out of one of them. When I saw the market in Tel Aviv, I realized that there is a lot of potential here, so I opened it here and we will see where it goes.”
Rubin met Pub Hub co-founder Doron Maman while attending IDC Herzliya and the two decided to launch the company together. Rubin and Maman have found many bar owners receptive to their pitch. “It was incredible,” exclaimed Rubin. “Every single bar owner we approached has been interested in working with us.”
The company is already renting out two separate bars, both of which are located on a main Tel Aviv thoroughfare and plans to expand to five more bars in the coming months. The pair of entrepreneurs plans to eventually expand their business internationally. “There are bars all over the world that are closed during the day. We want to take advantage of that empty space and really transform it into something a lot more productive,” Rubin explained.
Article reprinted with permission from TPS.
