Coworking offices tend to conjure images of flashy downtown spaces with kombucha on tap aimed at the budding entrepreneur, at least before March 2020.
But when the coronavirus pandemic began and many were desperate for a space to work from home without actually working from home, coworking spaces began to shine.
A new space has emerged in the Carrollwood neighborhood to offer space beyond the typical downtown office digs.
"We wanted to reach out to the more residential population," said Masis Demirdjian, managing director of DemiSar Workspace. "With a lot of offices shutting down, a lot of people had to turn to work from home. I was one of them and I have cats and dogs and I'm sure others do too, so we were trying to offer a professional workspace nearby for ease of access."
DemiSar Workspace, a sister company to DemiSar Properties, recently had a soft opening of its more than 10,000-square-foot space nestled along Busch Boulevard.
"We are opening our doors to anyone and everyone who needs a professional, quiet workplace nearby," Demirdjian said.
Space will include typical office perks including Wi-Fi, printing, receptionist services and phone services. For those who choose to have a virtual office space membership, users are allowed to use DemiSar space as their work address. Receptionists can be given a script for the company and route the calls as needed.
There is also a training room that can seat up to 50 people, with surround sound and a receptionist's lobby. That room offers its own ticketing software, which can be used to sell tickets for any event.
The space has been outfitted to be "Covid safe," including having touchless door entry, sanitizing stations and updated HVAC filters.
"We think there is a strong market in the residential areas that have a need," he said. "You have the WeWorks, the big luxury spaces in the heart of downtown which is a commute for a lot of people. We want to be your office away from home and with 24/7 access if you want to work in the middle of the night."
This is the first location for DemiSar Workspace, which is already eyeing Gainesville for its next location. Members can either buy individual or corporate partnerships, or a virtual office.
"I think it's something people will get," Demirdjian said. "It may not be something they've actively thought about but we want to give another option so that they're not stuck at home or in their hotel room."
