Next winter, Capital One is set to open two new Capital One Cafés in the Austin area, one in The Domain and the other downtown. The Cafés are designed to spark new ideas, encourage consumers to think about their financial goals in a new way, and help people feel more confident in their relationship with money.
With Capital One Cafés, consumers will receive a first-in-class experience, financial educational opportunities, like Money Coaching and Money Workshops, and the help of a Capital One Café Ambassador to guide them through the banking process.
And that’s not all. As part of their commitment to redesign the banking experience, coming to Austin on April 8 and 9 from 10am-6pm, Capital One’s ‘Banking Reimagined’ Tour will provide Austinites a hands-on digital experience designed to get them thinking and talking about personal finance in an engaging way. Using touchscreens, virtual reality and video booths, Capital One is using innovative tools and technology to help people start laying out their personal finance map in an exciting, non-traditional way.
Jaci Stoltz, Vice President of Capital One Cafés, says the Cafés and the Ambassadors further enhance the overall mission. “We think of our Ambassadors as being there to provide an exceptional experience for our customers, to guide them through whatever brought them into the Café.” Stoltz says instead of sitting across from a banker at a desk, customers will sit next to an Ambassador on a couch with a cup of coffee in hand.
Given the casual environment described above you might be wondering just how relaxed these new branches are, but that’s just it; Cafés aren’t branches. While branches are typically meant for quick, in-and-out banking, Cafés are community hubs designed to be inviting, merging the worlds of innovation, digital tools and human connection all in one. Developed in tandem with award-winning architect, Rockwell, the space, in many ways, mirrors the design concept of a co-working space or, yes, your favorite, local café where lounging is encouraged.
According to Stoltz, the journey towards their new banking concept began two years ago when Capital One started talking to Americans about money. She says those conversations revealed a few things. “[We found that] most of the time, people are banking digitally, and while technology is making things easier, it hasn’t solved the fact that money is still a big source of stress [for Americans].” Stoltz also stated most people are unsure about where to go to solve that stress.
And while Capital One chatted with people from all over the country, Stoltz says Capital One research suggests Austin is no different, citing that only a quarter of the city’s residents feel confident in their relationship with money. The solution, she says, is the Capital One Cafés.
Though consumers will have to wait until later this year to experience the newly designed Cafés, they can visit existing Capital One locations in Austin that have already begun implementing key elements of the reimagined banking concept. Features like casual seating, digital screens for interactive content, and financial education opportunities.
“Everything we’re doing – from the new Cafés to the Tour to the mobile experience we’re creating – is all about helping people feel more confident in their relationship with money and taking the stress out of that.” Stoltz says the feedback from other cities has been positive thus far.
The music capitol is the last stop on Capital One’s Banking Reimagined Tour and will be in Austin on April 8-9 from 10am—6pm. The state-of-the-art 54-foot trailer will be located at 11410 Century Oaks Terrace. For more information about the Tour, visit Capital One’s Banking Reimagined website.
This post was sponsored by Capital One. All photos courtesy of Capital One.
