Co-Working Franchise Sets its Sights on San Antonio and Austin

SAN ANTONIO—Co-working franchisor Office Evolution is continuing its Texas expansion by signing leases for the brand’s first locations in San Antonio and Austin. These will be Office Evolution’s fifth and sixth locally owned locations in the Lone Star State. Both new locations will offer private offices, conference rooms, and shared workspace for small- to medium-sized businesses and employees of larger corporations who are working remotely.

Office Evolution’s steady growth is fueled by the increased demand for flexible close-to-home co-working office space. Throughout the pandemic and especially with the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, businesses of all sizes are turning toward flexible workspace close to home as a solution to the traditional office setting.

This has become important as businesses look to avoid expensive lease entanglements for traditional office space. As employers realize that remote working is resulting in more productive employees, businesses are tapping into co-working spaces to provide employees with safe and collaborative environments that are closer to home.

“As businesses reimagine work and shift their focus away from traditional office space, they are aggressively turning their attention toward more flexible workspace options,” says Andrea Pirrotti-Dranchak, chief marketing and development officer. “We are experiencing a steady demand for flexible workspace options in the suburbs where many of our members live, and entrepreneurial markets like Austin and San Antonio are perfect for our concept.”

The new San Antonio location will be owned and operated by San Antonio residents Brian and Nerrida Koster. The Koster’s 7,000-square-foot Office Evolution location will be located at 1846 N. Loop 1604 West, suite 205. The duo will service businesses of all sizes and remote workers in early 2021.

“San Antonio is a thriving city with hundreds of small- to medium-sized businesses and remote workers that are currently looking for convenient workspace close to home,” says Brian Koster. “These business owners and solopreneurs work very hard to keep their businesses growing, and we are excited to be able to provide them with access to a safe and professional workspace environment where they can continue to network, collaborate and innovate to help their business thrive.”

The new Austin location will be owned by Austin resident Tyler Jensen. Jensen’s 7,850-square-foot Office Evolution will be located at 8911 North Capital of Texas Highway, building 4, suite 4200. The new location will provide the Austin business community with access to 36 private offices, two conference rooms and eight to 10 drop-in workspaces. Similar to the Kosters, Jensen’s location is slated to open in early 2021 as well.

“The city of Austin has experienced a lot of growth over the past couple of years, and the amount of entrepreneurs and small businesses searching for flexible workspace, coupled with the increased demand due to COVID-19 makes this the perfect market for our Office Evolution,” stated Jensen. “I am excited to be able to become a pillar in the local business community and provide businesses a foundation from which they can grow.”

Since the start of COVID-19, Office Evolution’s commitment to business continuity has helped forge a strong sense of loyalty from its members.

“The people of San Antonio and Austin embody the entrepreneurial spirit that Office Evolution was created to support,” Mark Hemmeter, founder and CEO of Office Evolution, tells GlobeSt.com. “These cities are full of thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs who we like to call dreamers, risk takers and doers. These individuals are actively looking for a community where they can continue to drive their businesses forward. Especially with COVID-19, more and more small businesses and remote workers are searching for safe and flexible workspace where they can network, collaborate and innovate with like-minded businesspeople. Businesses of all sizes are shifting their attention away from expensive, traditional office space and are focusing on providing their employees with convenient workspace close to home, a benefit that many employees have come to enjoy since the start of the pandemic. Additionally, both of these cities have extremely active startup scenes, and companies continue to migrate to these markets, which make them prime territories for a co-working concept like Office Evolution. These markets embrace and appreciate the concept of co-working, and we are incredibly excited for our expansion into both of these rapidly expanding cities.”

In a 9,100-respondent pulse survey published in the Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2020, more than 60% of respondents say they want the option to work remotely more frequently, even after the pandemic subsides.