I agree that the rent per square foot is higher in a coffeeshop than in a coworking space. OTOH, if I rent a desk at a coworking space, I expect to get 40-70 s

I agree that the rent per square foot is higher in a coffeeshop than in a coworking space. OTOH, if I rent a desk at a coworking space, I expect to get 40-70 sq ft of semi-private space. At a coffee shop, I'm liable to be working at a 2-top that's barely large enough to fit both my laptop and my coffee and having the ass-or-crotch debate with my neighbors if I need to get out of my chair for some reason. As for headcount, coworking spaces need to employ office managers. A single barista can serve hundreds of customers in a day. Per customer, a coworking space might actually need more employees.