Scott Chester got the idea for his startup after witnessing road rage on the Howard Frankland Bridge.
It's an unusual place for inspiration to hit, Chester acknowledges, but it was something he and his then co-workers would witness daily on their way to work.
"There's nothing but anger on the roads and then you get to work and carry that frustration and take it out on others," Chester said. "And we were in the IT department, so we would talk about places like Google that really take care of their people."
One of the things tech giants like Google are known for is their nap rooms, allowing employees to recharge before getting back to the office. After doing research on his own for a more restful night's sleep for himself and his family, Chester wanted to bring his knowledge to the masses.
Enter Nap Pod. The space in downtown Tampa in the Madison Building has several private rooms where customers can go into a pod for 20 minutes, nestled in a room designed to make the person more relaxed.
"You're not paying for a nap; you're paying for increased productivity throughout the day," Chester said. "This is just to tackle the problem that we, in general, don't take enough time to relax. It's either in bed, or a week on vacation, and even then you don't get enough time."
The pods themselves are nothing new. Airports including Atlanta and London have them available for travelers and the University of South Florida offers them on its campus. But Chester believes offering a cozy, dark pod is only a fix for those who are already exhausted.
"Mine helps you get into the state of relaxation faster and easier," he said. "It helps you ease the transition — I have the air, the chairs, the scenery. Everything is made to help you relax."
His rooms and company lobby play relaxing music alongside peaceful videos, with dual air purifiers running with lavender.
"You will have a whole, overall experience to make your body feel like you relaxed," Chester said. "You're unplugging from everything — and if you didn't nap, your mind will still feel better."
Chester officially opened his shop Sept. 13, and is in the process of working with companies to incentivize their employees to use the pods. The Nap Pods can also be used in a one-time case use or through a monthly subscription. He is the company's sole employee and is entirely bootstrapped at this point.
"I'm taking a leap of faith," he said. "I'm seeing if Tampa Bay is ready to have something like this, to have an outlet to go to and take their frustration."
