Ladybird Transforms Patio Into Outdoor Shared Workspace In Unexpected Pivot

Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall is joining forces with Switchyards, the Atlanta-based neighborhood work club, to transform the restaurant’s BeltLine-adjacent patio into what’s being coined as the “first entirely outdoor” shared workspace. The initiative is part of Switchyards’ ongoing Curb Cup program — the pop-up cart on a mission to provide an escape from home to Switchyards members — the club will provide free coffee and socially distanced outdoor workspace through a month-long, open-air residency at Ladybird. This will be open to Switchyards members, their guests, and those on the waitlist, per availability.

Following the onset of the pandemic in March, Switchyards closed each of its four in-town locations. In July, the shared workspace company revamped a vintage hot dog pushcart, equipped it to serve coffee, and began setting up shop in parking lots and patios all over Atlanta launching its Curb Cup initiative. Curb Cup serves a menu of hot drip, cold brew, specialty tea concoctions, and special tacos from Muchacho. There are also fresh-roasted bags of Switchyards’ Punch Card Coffee and Switchyards club merch available for purchase.

“We believe having a place to get away, even if for only a few minutes during the week, matters now more than ever,” Michael Tavani, Switchyards’ founder and CEO, said this week in a prepared statement. “For me, it’s a great excuse to just get out of the house – something like a 30-minute vacation.”

Designed with COVID-19 in mind and with safety as a top priority, the cart will be grab-n-go, serving inside Ladybird’s outdoor seating area, complete with wifi. Curb Cup will operate Wednesdays through Fridays from 8 a.m. until noon from now until Friday, October 30. Ladybird opens for regular hours at 12 p.m.