Ziferblat opened its doors in Manchester back in January 2015, since then they have expanded to Liverpool and Media City, with Leeds branches on the horizon. Ziferblat’s concept is based on a creative, super flexible space which guests can use for a variety of needs. They were the first venue in the world to introduce pay per minute meeting rooms where guests pay for the time they spend and everything else is free.
Originally founded in Moscow by a group of poets, Ziferblat was established as a social work space. Decorated in the style of a domestic living room and lovingly coined “the treehouse for adults”, the space was used for social occasions and as a place to progress their work. The space originally ran on donations and as it grew more popular the pay per minute model was introduced.
Now with 17 branches across the world, Ziferblat hosts clients such as Google, Santander, Shopify, TOMs, Barclays, Co-Operative, JD Williams, University of Manchester, the BBC and a variety of creative SMEs.
They charge 6pence per guests per minute with a minimum hourly spend on each room. Guests are welcome to unlimited Zifer-kitchen treats including teas, coffees, soft drinks, juices, milks, hot chocolate, cereals, yoghurts, fruits, breads, croissant, crumpets, pastries, cakes, brownies, biscuits, cookies, snacks and more. Every meeting room comes with 100mb wi-fi, projection, flipcharts and stationery.
Ziferblat has hosted meetings, AGMs, weddings, events, away days, interviews, workshops and open days. In their first 18 months, the Edge Street branch hosted over 1000 events.
Their rooms include creative styles such as a primary school classroom, a chintzy vintage dining room, a Russian lounge, an art studio and other quirky interiors.
With branches planned for cities across the North and the UK, Ziferblat aims to open 50 branches by the year 2020.
