Local entrepreneur Jay Schaeffer has just launched Recess, a remote workspace concept that meets the needs of work-from-home employees itching to get out of their home office while benefitting local businesses.
Schaeffer, Recess' founder, launched the startup's first location inside South End's Wooden Robot Brewery on March 15. The concept took shape as a way for bars and restaurants to increase profits as they work to recover from months-long closures due to Covid-19.
"We saw remote work on the rise ... When Covid hit, it started to look like more and more people would be working remotely, maybe forever," he said. "There's so much space and so many workers, so we wanted to figure out how we could convert unused space into a revenue line item for these restaurants and bars."
Schaeffer described the concept as less of a traditional coworking space and more of a "flexible workspace community."
"Our offering is much different in that it's not going to be a place where you come and set up at your two monitors and spend the entire day," he said. "It's geared more toward people who like working in a space where they can sit and work for a few hours, have some coffee and network."
The lower price point is also something that Schaeffer said he hopes sets Recess apart from other local coworking options. A monthly membership is $99 and includes networking events, monthly happy hours, unlimited coffee and access to the space during Wooden Robot's non-business hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.
Those who aren't ready to commit to a membership but still want to see what it's all about can purchase day passes for $15 each. Currently, only the Wooden Robot workspace is open, but additional locations in Plaza Midwood and NoDa are in the works.
To purchase a membership or day pass, visit the Recess website. Users will have the opportunity to create a profile and be prompted via email to download the mobile app, which is currently powered by a third party as the Recess team works to build its own software.
Schaeffer said since launching last week, about 13 people have purchased monthly memberships, several more have purchased day passes and more than 50 people have created a profile on the app.
"It's the really sweet spot between a coffee shop and a coworking space," he said. "The value is there, and we are helping these local businesses. All the staff are people already working for [Wooden Robot], and our Plaza location will be able to take someone off unemployment thanks to this partnership."
