Owner of Cafe Kubal to open coworking space this week

Kubal Coworks will open December 5 and allow patrons to rent space daily, weekly and monthly.

Story and Photos by Violet Lazarus

Published: December 2, 2019

The old trolley station on North Townsend will take on a new role next month as Kubal Coworks, a coworking space.

For the past two years, the old station has been Kubal’s headquarters, where employees work and coffee beans are roasted and, later, shipped to the cafes in the area. On Dec. 5, Cafe Kubal Owner Matt Godard will be debuting Kubal Coworks, where professionals will be able to rent office or desk space and work alongside Kubal employees in a collaborative environment.

“This is all about working and being productive, yet in a comfortable space with coffee,” Godard said.

Coworking spaces have increased in popularity as job requirements have evolved, and physically traveling to work has become less of a daily necessity for employees. People are working virtually more, but many find working in a traditional cafe distracting or become unmotivated when working in the comfort of their homes.

“[It’s] for people who want to get out of their bathrobe,” Godard said about his latest venture.

Godard started roasting coffee beans in 2004 and eventually opened up his first cafe on James Street in 2006.

“At the time, the only thing you could get was Dunkin Donuts and I think there were one or two Starbucks around and that’s it,” Godard said, “And I thought people would appreciate it.”

Since then, Kubal and the entire local coffee industry in Syracuse has grown tremendously.

“I prefer the coffee,” said Syracuse University student Helena O’Donnell when asked why she prefers Kubal to the Starbucks up the street. “There’s nicer seating areas as well.”

O’Donnell said she’s not choosey when it comes to local coffee brands, like Kubal versus Recess, but since Kubal has a shop close to campus it’s more convenient.

At Kubal Coworks, patrons will be able to rent space by the day, week or month, and can choose from a variety of spaces, like countertops, desks or personal offices. Monthly pass holders can also reserve the conference room for larger meetings and will receive discounts on the Kubal coffee beans roasted downstairs.

Godard also envisions the space being used for collaboration, despite the fact that not all the professionals there will likely work in the same fields. He has plans to hold “coffee circles,” which are meetings where people can share what they’ve accomplished recently and hope to accomplish in the future.

“We started doing that with my own staff internally,” Godard said. “Every person has a day and they present their work life in the morning.”

Godard said it’s a productive way to start the morning and facilitates transparency between employees.

“We want to create a culture of collaboration,” Godard said. “I really want the residents here to not necessarily be here their whole lives, but to start up and grow into something bigger.”

Violet Lazarus

is a contributor to The NewsHouse.