Your local could be your office
Remote and hybrid work freed millions of people from the commute, then left a lot of them stuck at the kitchen table. Meanwhile, brilliant pubs and cafes sit half empty through the working day. HopDesk connects the two.
Why we are building it
The idea is simple. A worker wants somewhere with a bit of life, decent Wi-Fi and a good coffee. A venue wants more from its quiet hours. Neither should need a contract, a membership card or a complicated app to make that work. HopDesk is the light touch in between: find a spot, tap to check in, get on with your day.
We are a small team building this carefully and in the open, starting with a friends-and-family pilot and growing from there. If that sounds like something you want to be part of, we would love to have you early.
HopDesk Ltd
HopDesk is built and run by HopDesk Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 15063595. We keep our data in the UK and take privacy and security seriously from day one.
Want to talk to us, partner with us, or bring HopDesk to your town? Join the community and say hello.
Meet Oliver Roberts, our founder
An advertising veteran, former ambulance technician, community volunteer, owner of Oskar Illustration, and lifelong pub lover, Oli has spent much of his career in very different worlds. Over time, he realised there was one thread running through all of them: community.
Advertising may seem the odd one out, yet community played a vital role there too, particularly when helping to win and support clients such as the mental health charity Mind.
The UK is one of the best countries in the world at preserving its heritage through incredible organisations such as the National Trust, English Heritage and the Woodland Trust.
Some of our pubs claim histories of more than a thousand years. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans claims to date back to AD 793, and is still welcoming customers today. Yet the UK has lost more than 16,000 pubs since 2000. According to the British Beer and Pub Association, there were 44,650 left at the end of 2025, down from 50,800 a decade earlier.
For me, that's a tragedy.
Every pub is unique. The stories told, friendships formed, celebrations shared and communities built within their walls are impossible to measure. These venues are every bit as important to our local heritage as the historic buildings we work so hard to preserve.
HopDesk isn't a complicated platform. It's a simple idea.
It exists to help fill pubs, hotels and hospitality venues with people again. Give remote workers free access to welcoming places in their community. Support local businesses by encouraging people to spend where they work.
The pub has always been a great leveller. Access to workspace should be too.
Cheers.
Pub figures: British Beer and Pub Association data, as reported by the Morning Advertiser on 6 May 2026.
What we care about
Good for the high street
Independent venues are the heart of a place. HopDesk sends them daytime trade that would otherwise sit at home.
Privacy by default
We hold what the service needs and nothing it does not. Check-ins are counted, not turned into a tracking trail.
Simple and fair
Free for workers, one flat fee for venues, no commission. The model is easy to understand because it is meant to be.
Building in the open
We are early, and we say so. We would rather ship, listen and improve than pretend to be finished.
Come and build it with us
Whether you want to work from your local or open your doors to Hoppers (remote workers who use HopDesk), the best time to join is now, while we are shaping it.