Coworking, Spacious, and The Future of Brick and Mortar

Responsible for 1% of the 600 billion in office rents every year, it’s no secret coworking is a fast growing industry. That 1% figure is slated to jump to 15-20% by 2020, marking a gigantic shift in the commercial landscape. See my previous post on Industrious for a little more context. On the topic of coworking, there was an article in the New York Times that caught my attention recently: Sorry, Power-Lunchers. This Restaurant Is a Co-Working Space Now.

Everything is now a co-working space, one of those shared offices that are popular among freelancers, small companies and other workers who want a change of scenery. Coffee shops are co-working spaces. Gyms are co-working spaces. Social clubs are co-working spaces. And now restaurants — but only before dinnertime.

The company tackling restaurants is Spacious:

Workspace Reimagined.

Spacious transforms unused space into a city-wide network of stylish, productive workspaces where you can meet, work, and get stuff done. Join our community of mobile professionals, starting at $99/month.

Turning empty restaurants into workspace is an interesting strategy to increase efficiency and revenue (aka minimize occupancy) of otherwise vacant space.

One quote from the NYT that prompted further thought:

A membership model is the future for bricks-and-mortar spots, according to the Spacious team, and restaurants are the easiest first step.

I have to admit: I think they’re right. As a huge, huge believer in membership models in other areas (such as communities, and media), I have even thought about what a membership model for real estate brokerages might look like. Charging your clients ever month/year for the right to do business with their agents. It sounds crazy, right? While I’m not totally sure it would work, I’d love to see someone try it.

Bottom line: Creative retail uses, coworking, and membership models. I’m bullish on all of them.

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