Santander Bank announced the opening of its second Work Café in the United States, located at 3036 Grand Avenue in the heart of Coconut Grove. The Work Café is intended to serve as an innovation hub for local businesses and the broader community, the firm said.
“The South Florida region is an integral component of the Bank’s multiyear strategy to transform into a leading national, digital bank with branches. We’re excited to bring more than just banking to the Coconut Grove community. Our new Work Café provides a relaxed environment where customers, local business owners and entrepreneurs can seek personalized financial guidance or simply work, take meetings or develop their next big project,” said Patrick Smith, Head of Consumer & Business Banking at Santander Bank. “This space is an extension of our commitment to people and businesses throughout the communities we serve. The Work Café offers them the space they need to prosper.”
Open to the public, the Coconut Grove Work Café is an inviting co-working space inclusive of private meeting rooms that are fully equipped with the latest tech capabilities to foster collaboration.
Along with expertise provided by the Santander Bank team, customers and non-customers can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, a cup of coffee, latte or espresso from the premium self-serve amenity bar as well as snacks sourced from nonprofit organizations and women-owned businesses. As customers continue to prefer a digital-first experience, Santander Bank will provide enhanced onsite personal engagement by Work Café team members, who can offer side-by-side assistance to customers utilizing mobile and ATM capabilities for everyday deposits and withdrawals.
Coconut Grove is home to the second Santander Work Café in the United States, joining the first location in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Because of its collaborative nature and seamless connectivity, the Work Café model is popular across the Bank’s global footprint. Since its introduction in Chile in 2016, Santander Work Cafés have spread to more than 200 locations in nine countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Spain, the firm added.
“The opening of this Work Café underscores the Bank’s efforts to provide a digital-first customer experience within our retail locations and allows our team members to spend more time providing personal assistance and guidance,” said Yajaira Lopez, Head of Branch Banking at Santander Bank. “Whether it’s a traditional branch, Santander Financial Center or Work Café, we’re tailoring our in-person experience to customer preferences. Combined with our leading digital capabilities, we’re equipped to help customers bank anytime, anywhere.”
Santander Bank will celebrate the opening of the Coconut Grove Work Café on Friday, June 7, 2024. In addition to live music from local band French Horn Collective, Miami-based artist ABSTRK will be working on a project live at the Work Café. Miami food and beverage vendors who have participated in Santander US’ signature Cultivate Small Business program, including Casa Gioia, SmokeHouse Miami, Koffeeology, and Gelato Gourmet, will be onsite to provide sweet treats, small bites, coffee and gelato.
As part of its commitment to small businesses and entrepreneurs, the Bank will present a $100,000 contribution to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida International University (FIU) during the grand opening, representing an ongoing commitment to the Cultivate Small Business program in the region to provide Miami-Dade small businesses with the expertise they need to take their company to the next level.
In addition to the opening, Coconut Grove Work Café will host free networking events and programming throughout the year designed to help local businesses and the community.
