Capital One Café – Let’s Talk Money

Ever wish that there was an oasis in the sea of daily chaos? A place where you could check your messages, do your banking, meet up with some friends for a quiet kid-free moment and just enjoy each other’s company with some stellar coffee and delicious food?

Okay, who else just hummed the theme song to “Cheers” while reading that?

Seriously though … that’s exactly what you will get when you visit a Capital One Café. Café Ambassadors who are friendly, smiling, and wearing the coolest apparel curated by former Project Runway contestant, Shirin Askari. Naturally, they even order your coffee on their Apple iWatch and then take you to a comfortable sofa to help coach you through setting up an account, paying a bill online, or anything else you may need assistance with.

…and there goes “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top running through my brain now …

But seriously friends, the Café Ambassadors are there to help you feel financially secure and confident. When I was speaking with Courtney and then with Sean in the Café, I literally felt as though I were talking to a friend, and their care and attention to our financial needs and our retirement goals was completely genuine.  

Thank you Capital One for sponsoring this post! This is a paid endorsement. All opinions are my own and were not directed by Capital One. To learn more about Capital One visit www.capitalone.com/cafes or www.capitalone.com/bankingreimagined. 

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So What Can You Do at a Capital One Café?

Coffee and Snacks – Grab a delicious, handcrafted Peets^® beverage as well as snacks prepared and delivered by local entrepreneurs you already love. Here in Richmond, you can find snacks at the Capital One Café from Zosaro’s Bakery, Cupertino’s Bagel, Montana Gold Bread, Daily Jars, Pearl’s Cupcakes, Country Style Donuts, and Red Eye Cookie Company.

Get Some Work Done – when the kids are making you crazy and you just need to get away for 30 minutes or so. All of the Capital One Cafés have free WiFi and fee-free ATMs, which makes it super convenient for you to grab some cash, make a few deposits, or just plug in and get to work! Our Short Pump Capital One Café is right in the heart of the shopping center – which makes it a great rest spot to recharge before taking on the rest of the center!

Free Meeting Rooms – I love that the Cafés are invested in helping the local community – including entrepreneurs, work-at-home parents, students, retirees, and non-profits that may not have meeting space of their own. With lounge seating throughout the Café and free meeting rooms, Capital One Cafés provide you with the space needed to collaborate and brainstorm the next great idea!

Immerse Yourself in the Experience – Have you ever visited a location that your friends told you needed to be experienced – it did not do it justice to simply tell you about it? Visiting a Capital One Café is like that. It’s an experience you need to immerse yourself in. From the comfortable atmosphere, to the totally cool interactive demo bar, these spaces are designed to continuously surprise you each time you visit. From the beautiful murals on the wall, to the little messages and moments that make you feel good about being there – it truly is something you have to experience for yourself to get the full benefit.

Money Coaching – is designed to connect your values to your money, get your money under control, plan a path for your future financial goals, and give you the confidence to make it happen over a three-session period – complimentary of course! It’s like life coaching, just for your finances!

Money Workshops – are a series of complimentary 1 to 2 hour sessions offered at the cafés on topics like “How to Talk Money With Your Honey,” “How to Make Your Golden Years Shine Bright,” and “Wise Wedding Planning” just to name a few. (I’ve signed up to attend the “Your Money. Your Values” session on May 25 at the Short Pump Café!)

Where Can I Find a Capital One Café?

There are Capital One Cafés open across the country – with more coming! Here’s a listing and map to show you the Cafés that are currently open. The cities with an * will be opening soon.

Becoming An Active Part of the Community Landscape

Capital One doesn’t just offer a service to the residents of the community where they are located. They believe that being a part of the local fabric means giving back as well. They provide their space for local associations to meet, for students to use for studying or hosting networking and development events, for local Meetup groups to organize meetings, and to generally give members of the community the opportunity to interact, grow, and prosper.

The Future Edge Program

The Future Edge program is one such initiative. A $150 million investment over the next five years focused on three main areas:

• Helping people develop skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow
• Harnessing technology to help entrepreneurs succeed and grow in a digital age and grow their small business
• Helping people at all stages of their lives take better control of their personal finances to make the best decisions for their futures.

All funds go to different community partners, charities and non-profits within the communities in which the Café locations are based.

For the Tech Geeks and Those Just Learning

Now me? I am completely over the moon with all the technology available at the Café. I love that the Demo Bars have built in USB and electrical outlets so that you can charge your devices and work at the same time. Not to mention they have iPads there so you can test out all the great products from Capital One. Capital One recently partnered with Amazon to create a first-of-its kind skill for their Alexa products that lets you manage your bank accounts – using just your voice!

Alexa, pay the Dominion Virginia Power bill from my Capital One 360 Checking Account.

Way cool, right? Amazon Echos are installed in every café and you can try them out at the demo bar. They can answer your Capital One questions and manage your accounts. You can also learn more about CreditWise and see how it can provide everyone with more than just a credit score. It helps you easily see your credit profile, track it, and learn how to strengthen it. (That one is right up my alley!) 

Last but not least, the Cafés all have these cool interactive screens that feature interactive content built around financial education. This is a great place to park the teenagers while you grab your coffee order! Did you know that Capital One worked with the same company as the Smithsonian to outfit each of the Cafés with these interactive screens?

While I know not everyone is lucky enough to have a Capital One Café within driving distance – yet – I have a really good feeling that it won’t be long before you do. When you have the opportunity to visit your local Café, be sure and tell them that Kim from Life in a House of Testosterone recommended it to you. Who knows, you might find me at the Demo Bar chatting with a Café Ambassador or telling the Amazon Echo to make a deposit.

See you at the Café!

A Special Thank You to the Team

I would like to take a moment to thank the awesome people who made my experience with the Capital One Banking Reimagined Tour and the Capital One Café so amazing. They really opened my eyes to so many possibilities and I am extremely excited about the future! So many thanks to Tyler Benson, Courtney Rhodes, Sean Skelly, and Shannon Jones for an amazing experience!