The pandemic led Burt to consider new kinds of workspaces in hotels, while forming partnerships with employers eager to offer remote staff coworking options outside the home and office.
At the onset of the pandemic, WorkChew supported its members and business customers by offering virtual coffee breaks, organizing cooking classes through participating restaurants and encouraging takeout.
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Though the startup temporarily discontinued fees since coworking sites were closed, it still wanted to keep freelancers and restaurants engaged.
After joining an accelerator program in the fall of 2020, which helped them connect with industry leaders to discuss business in the post-Covid era, Burt and her cofounder, Allyson McDougal, felt inspired to aim higher. Restaurants were reopening, and as employee preferences evolved and more companies signed on to the work-from-anywhere mindset, the pair
brainstormed how their startup could make its mark on the future of work. Their idea? Partner with employers that hoped to provide those “anywhere” workspaces.
They implemented three big changes along the way, first recruiting employers that wanted access to safe, remote workspace options for interested staff. WorkChew then expanded beyond restaurants, partnering with hotels to offer up empty conference areas, guest rooms and lobbies. The startup also implemented an online booking system, allowing users to browse location maps, view seating arrangements and reserve a workspace in advance.
Accelerating Hybrid Work
Today, WorkChew offers its freelance members and participating employers—primarily small companies of fewer than 100 employees and mid-sized companies of over 500—a variety of spaces for a monthly rate of $49.99 per employee.
Locations follow state and local guidelines on social distancing and masking, and some may begin requiring proof of vaccination.
Recently, Burt has observed a rise in corporate interest in WorkChew’s services, likely resulting from the delta variant’s damper on many return-to-office plans.
Companies are “exploring ways to support their distributed workforce as they lean into allowing their people to continue to work remotely,” she says. “They [also] continue to receive feedback from employees who’ve grown tired of working from home day in and day out, which is fantastic for us. Employees now need resources beyond just a nice seat at their home office.”
WorkChew spaces enable members to choose a work environment they feel comfortable in, says Burt. For example, some of its spaces are more socially distant than corporate offices since its network now includes conference rooms and private hotel guest rooms. Plus, many sites are closer to workers’ homes than their former offices, eliminating the need for long commutes on public transportation.
Serving Businesses Safely
Feelings of isolation are common for those continuing to work remotely, though, Burt says.
Enabling that connection is top of mind as WorkChew looks ahead. “That’s what we [want] to help employers build outside of the office,” says Burt.
WorkChew is planning to soon launch locations in and around Los Angeles and New York and then hopes to expand to more than a dozen new cities around the country by the end of the year. Burt is focusing on fewer, bigger locations in more cities. She eventually wants to add underutilized retail locations to the mix as well as more options for suburban residents.
Burt feels confident about WorkChew’s impact. “The industry is moving in a direction that’s suited for what we’re offering,” she says. “We think that we’ve got a tremendous opportunity to change the landscape of flexible work and charge full speed ahead in adding wonderful, beautiful, safe spaces.”
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Many members are interested in alternative workspaces not only for a change of pace but also to fill a void and find a sense of community. Most of WorkChew’s members are between the ages of 25 and 45 and are “hungry to be out,” she says. “They’re vaccinated and want to be in spaces with other people.”