Santander Bank Opens First U.S. Work Café in Brooklyn

The new innovation hub empowers local businesses and the community to meet, work, create and learn in an inviting space

BOSTON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Santander Bank (“the Bank”) today announced that it has opened its first Work Café in the U.S. Located at 85 North 6^th Street in the heart of Brooklyn’s vibrant Williamsburg neighborhood, Santander Work Café is an innovation hub for local businesses and the community to nurture new ideas and foster collaboration in a relaxed environment.

In addition to banking services and access to a variety of specialists, free amenities also include fully equipped private meeting rooms, abundant co-working spaces, plentiful charging outlets, fast Wi-Fi and 24/7 ATMs. This is the first Santander Work Café in the U.S., though the model is already popular across the Bank’s global footprint. Since starting in Chile in 2016, Work Cafés have quickly spread to 85 locations in eight countries across Europe, Central and South America.

Santander has a long history of supporting business customers, and this newest location is another milestone in the Bank’s broader growth and transformation strategy. “Santander Work Café offers something for everyone, whether it’s a local business owner looking to improve cash flow, a serial entrepreneur about to start a new project or a side hustler turning a passion project into reality,” said Pierre Habis, Head of Consumer and Business Banking. “We hope people launch their next big idea at Santander Work Café.”

“Santander has the solutions to help you manage your finances right from your home or place of business, but we know that now more than ever, people need a distraction-free place to be productive, innovate and collaborate while still maintaining social distance and safety,” added Habis. “During this difficult time, we are pleased to offer an alternative workspace to the Brooklyn business community. That’s why we’ve made it easy by combining convenient resources like private meeting rooms, extended hours and online appointment booking, with the tools needed to help reach their goals.”

Santander is following New York City safety protocols during the pandemic to protect the health of its customers and team members. When it is safe to do so, Santander Work Café will also serve as a gathering place and offer free events, networking and programming designed to help local businesses and the community.

The Bank has also teamed up with Aroma by The Nero Roasting Company to offer an additional amenity: a premium café featuring ethically-sourced, master-roasted coffee. While the space is open to everyone, Santander customers receive an exclusive 30 percent discount on hand-crafted beverages purchased using a Santander credit or debit card.

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country’s largest retail and commercial banks with $89.5 billion in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank’s 9,100 employees, 575 branches, more than 2,000 ATMs and more than 2.1 million customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) - one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 146 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. It is overseen by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander’s intermediate holding company in the U.S.

Aroma provides specialty award-winning coffee and food through partnerships with trusted brands. Aroma’s coffee comes directly from The Caffé Nero Group’s fully integrated coffee program, directly sourcing specialty coffee beans, roasting and blending in its fully-owned roastery, and serving with trained Baristas.