The fluorescent yellow workpods that caught the eye on a drive down the Major Arterial Road have quietly turned into workpod cafes. Neon signs bearing the names of the new franchises have come up in front of two of them.

Three workpods, christened Happy Works, had started in the aftermath of the pandemic, with the first opening doors in August 2021. It is located adjacent to the old NKDA office at the entry point of New Town. Subsequently, two others came up beside Sankalpa 4 housing complex and opposite Eco Park Gate no. 4.

In a situation where work from home was the only option, they were designed as places where people could come to work when they needed a quiet workspace, away from but close to their home, while maintaining social distance

The seats were let out by the hour, one had to bring one’s own device and wifi access was provided. The Hidco website still mentions the conditions of use. While Hidco managed the workpods, women’s self-help groups were in charge of making stimulants and light snacks, available on payment.

But this was deemed too costly for a significant section of its prospective clientele — students preparing for competitive examinations — who found it more economical to take a membership of The New Town Library in Nazrul Tirtha and enjoy similar facilities all day without the clock ticking.

“The cafe culture has come up in a big way. People step into cafes even by themselves, bringing work over, which is the same concept as our workpods. There are no other cafes with a visible presence in Action Area 1 till Eco Park on the MAR. We want more people to use our workpods,” said a source at Hidco, which owns the workpods.

The workpod opposite Eco Park formally opened in January with an electronic sign announcing the cafe’s name as MQXT. A hoarding explains the name to be a short form of “My Quick Xtraordinary Treats”, advertising burgers, beverages and wraps. On stepping in, one realises that gone are the 20 work stations — desks separated by wooden partitions at the sides and glass partitions in front. Gone are also the tables. Instead, there are normal sitting arrangements for groups facing each other as social distancing is no longer needed. The small conference room, partitioned off the rest of the space, still stands. But they are not charged separately as used to be the case in the workpods.

The workpod next to Sankalpa 4 bears the new signage Happy Cafe. The new franchisee is a young pastry chef, Neha Banerjee, who runs Sweet Knock Patisserie. “This cafe will open soon,” she said.