Four new coworking operators opened in Orange County this year, bringing the total company count represented on the second edition of the Business Journal’s shared space providers list to 28.
That count will nudge up one figure after another—CBRE Group’s Hana—opens later this year.
New entrants to the local market include:
• No. 9 Work Well Win, a Greenwich, Conn.-based coworking firm whose only West Coast site was in Santa Monica, is opening a 25,000-square-foot lease at the new Flight office campus in Tustin.
• Marina del Rey-based BizHaus, No. 17, opened its fifth location, and first OC spot, in June at 2942 Century Place, a former industrial building in Costa Mesa.
• Not to be confused with Hana, SAP SE’s new concept, HanaHaus, opened a 10,000-square-foot shared space in Newport Beach. The Lido-area creative office building is the first large waterfront coworking site in Orange County. It ranks No. 20 on the list.
• Hera Hub, a women-focused coworking space and business accelerator that opened in San Diego in 2011, opened its first local office in Irvine earlier this year. The company, No. 22, is led locally by sole investor Linda Talamo.
The rising number of coworking operators means more competition for tenants, and ongoing investment in technology, design and amenities to keep up.
“Competition is increasing, the market is in unprecedented health, and the industry is always changing,” IWG Vice President Michael Berretta said.
Just like landlords investing in tenant improvements, IWG has paid keen attention to its amenities, specifically food and beverage, to attract and retain members.
“Food and beverage is always going to be an area of interest for customers. We are upgrading that side of the business, ensuring our centers have great options for those who don’t necessarily want to leave the office,” Berretta said.
Creating unique outdoor gathering spots—like a rooftop lounge—has also been received well, he said.
