{"id":989369,"date":"2026-08-08T17:18:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/989369\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:18:16","slug":"laptop-brunch-helps-l-a-remote-workers-find-work-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/989369\/","title":{"rendered":"Laptop Brunch Helps L.A. Remote Workers Find Work Spots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the pandemic, the number of remote workers has grown exponentially. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, about 21-23% of Americans worked remotely in the past year. As more people get comfortable with the work-from-home life, many find themselves stuck in a constant cycle of isolation, family interruptions and a monotonous routine that doesn\u2019t spark creativity or productivity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every remote worker has a favorite cafe to work from, but what if there was a platform to access real-time data about diverse remote working locations across Los Angeles?<\/p>\n

Chris Wizner is the CEO and Founder of Laptop Brunch, an AI-driven platform that aims to solve two major problems: a lack of workweek restaurant patronage and inadequate work-from-home options. In a conversation with Los Angeles magazine, Wizner discussed all things Laptop Brunch, including his unlikely sources of inspiration, his solo development process and what\u2019s next for the website<\/a>, which celebrated its soft launch last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Wizner is also the CEO and Founder of Vivid Candi, a 360 advertising and marketing agency based in Malibu, with over 150 clients in the restaurant and hospitality sphere. In his 25 years of restaurant experience, there is one persistent problem he said that he hasn\u2019t been able to solve: how to encourage patronage during the typical breakfast and lunch hours on weekdays. From Monday to Friday, according to Wizner, the average restaurant struggles to reach even half of its capacity during day-time hours. This, he says, is a huge problem, forcing restaurants to rely on weekends and weekday dinner rushes.<\/p>\n

As a WFH connoisseur himself, Wizner knows a thing or two about the struggle of finding a place with strong wifi, comfortable seating and accessible outlets. And, most importantly, good coffee. Beginning his remote journey at a time when working from a cafe wasn\u2019t the norm means that Chris was well accustomed to the struggles of work-from-home fatigue and has experienced the ebbs and flows of remote working culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As he sat down for lunch with his wife at Ugo in Culver City in March, Wizner began to think about solutions to what he identified as a two-sided problem: restaurants aren\u2019t getting enough business, and remote workers are in need of fresh locations to work. This lunch, and a nighttime run during which Wizner said he was chased down Burbank Boulevard by a coyote, prompted him to head home and immediately code the app\u2019s prototype.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n

And just like that, Laptop Brunch was born.<\/p>\n

Created to give restaurants more business and remote workers an alternative place to set up for the day, Laptop Brunch seeks to be the first of its kind in a new industry that Wizner calls \u201cwork from restaurant,\u201d a step beyond coworking.<\/p>\n

Wizner names himself as the sole developer of the app, which he began working on earlier this year, in collaboration with AI. He says that AI wrote the code and is woven into various aspects of the app. When users report a bug on the website, for example, AI generates a prompt to recode the app and solve the issue based on user data, including device model and approximate location.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Chris Wizner at & Wafflies with Laptop BrunchCredit: Chris Wizner<\/p>\n

So how does Laptop Brunch work?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Users can log into the app and choose from three plans, starting with the free plan, which provides access to all WFH spots listed in the app, WiFi speed data and environment rankings, but does not include member discounts or the IRL networking and connections feature. To access these and other features, Laptop Brunch has two paid plans at $19.99 and $99.99 per month, which include the LA Passport Collection<\/a> of premium WFH locations, 15-50% member discounts, IRL networking and live seat availability and reservation capabilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Once users arrive at a \u201cspot,\u201d they must check in on the app and purchase an entree within 15 minutes. The first hour is always free, and users are then billed in 15-minute increments. Each plan comes with a set amount of hours (four and ten, respectively), with the option to purchase additional hours online.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This cost, Wizner said, solves the necessity of table turnover, or that awkward moment when an employee asks you to leave because you\u2019ve only purchased a coffee in three hours. When users stay to work for multiple hours, Wizner and the restaurants split the profits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wizner also discussed one of the app\u2019s most interesting, and somewhat controversial, features: IRL mode, which Wizner describes as \u201cLinkedIn in real life.\u201d This feature allows users to create a profile with their occupation and industry, and to connect with others at the same location who have similar careers. If two users decide they\u2019d like to connect, the app starts a chat. This allows users to make IRL connections in the remote working space, which can sometimes feel isolating.<\/p>\n

When asked about the feedback the feature has received, Wizner pointed out the safety concerns that arose during stress-testing regarding meeting a stranger online. To solve this problem, he implemented a self-destructive, instant selfie feature, in which users must upload a live selfie to confirm their identity and location before engaging in a chat with other users. He hopes this will dissuade people from being dishonest and encourage people to make real connections.<\/p>\n

Since its recent launch, Laptop Brunch has published its LA Passport Collection, which features 30 spots across the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Wizner says that he wants users to become \u201cdigital nomads\u201d and expand their WFH locations beyond their own neighborhoods, which is why he created this collection, full of spots he has personally visited and loved, from the San Fernando Valley to Malibu.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While Laptop Brunch is currently focused on its Los Angeles spots, Wizner promises that guides will be dropping soon in cities like New York, Houston and Miami.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The mission behind Laptop Brunch started with a love for restaurants and a desire to make remote workers\u2019 lives easier, which is why Wizner is committed to improving the laws that impact these groups. He mentions a Change.org petition<\/a> that aims to create a new \u201cWork From Restaurant\u201d tax category that \u201crecognizes certified business use of participating restaurants as legitimate remote workspaces, with appropriate safeguards such as documented work sessions, verified locations, and clear business-use requirements,\u201d according to the petition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Employees using Laptop Brunch can technically claim a tax deduction for the cost of their membership, similar to those with co-working space memberships, but the cost of the required meal remains a personal expense. Currently, the IRS processes deductions for at least a portion of the cost of in-person and virtual meetings post-pandemic. But for those who are simply using restaurants as a place to get work done, the tax code does not benefit them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wizner has a lofty goal of getting a 50-100% tax deduction for those working from restaurants. <\/p>\n

\u201cLaptop Brunch leads with our mission to ultimately recognize the restaurant infrastructure as a legitimate workplace,\u201d he tells me. <\/p>\n

As Laptop Brunch continues to add new features and content, users can look forward to weekly \u201cspot drops\u201d in September. The launches will feature an influencer-forward marketing approach that Wizner hopes will speak to the authenticity of the brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a big audience demand for work remote. People care about that experience, and me going in with my laptop and showing it off. I really think we can earn it the right way just by having a really killer product \u2026 I just really wanted to authentically be awesome,\u201d Wizner said about his marketing strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n