Dodo Works is a coworking concept developed within Dodo Pub Co, created to turn the underused space above it’s pubs into a new source of revenue.

The first site launched above The Bottle of Sauce in Cheltenham, transforming twelve largely unused rooms into a flexible workspace with its own identity, customer proposition and operating model.

The project covered the commercial concept, positioning and naming through to full brand identity, interiors, signage, website and rollout.

The space above The Bottle of Sauce had originally been considered for a hotel conversion, but the economics didn’t stack up. Initial renovation costs were around £200,000 before the mechanical work required to operate it as accommodation.

A coworking space presented a very different proposition. The conversion could be delivered for less than a quarter of that cost, required considerably less ongoing management and could benefit from the pub operation already running below it.

Rather than leaving twelve rooms unused, Dodo Works created an opportunity to generate additional income from an existing asset, with long-term memberships providing predictable occupancy and much of the incremental revenue falling through to the bottom line.

Dodo Works needed to feel credible as a co-working business in its own right while still belonging within the wider Dodo Pub Co world.

A complete sub-brand was developed around the new proposition, including the name, positioning, visual identity, tone of voice and supporting brand system. That thinking carried through into the physical space, with the interiors, layouts, operational flow and signage all designed around how members would actually use the building.

The same identity was then applied across the website, print, stationery and launch materials, creating a coherent customer experience from first enquiry through to working in the space itself.

Importantly, the project also created a new way of thinking about the wider pub estate: unused upper floors no longer had to be viewed simply as dead space, but as potential opportunities for complementary businesses sitting alongside the pubs below.

Dodo Works turned a costly property problem into a viable new revenue stream.

The first site created productive use from previously empty space at a fraction of the proposed hotel conversion cost, while introducing a recurring membership model that could operate alongside the existing pub with relatively little additional management.

Beyond the individual site, the project demonstrated how a distinct sub-brand could unlock new commercial opportunities within an existing hospitality estate and broaden the way future properties were assessed.

CAPABILITIES

Brand Strategy • Positioning • Naming • Brand Narrative • Audience & Customer Insight • Brand Identity • Creative Direction • Typography • Colour • Illustration • Tone of Voice • Interior Design • Layout Planning • Operational Flow • Customer Experience • Signage & Wayfinding • Website Design • Print & Ephemera • Brand Rollout • Project Management