RALEIGH — In the ever-evolving world of coworking spaces, a unique concept is hitting the streets of Raleigh, and it’s all about bringing car enthusiasts and entrepreneurs together under one roof.
Picture this: You’re a professional looking for a coworking space, but you also happen to be a die-hard car enthusiast. What if you could work surrounded by luxury cars, have access to a social club, and have an opportunity to connect and network over shared passions, like high-end cars?
That’s precisely the idea behind Car Space, a new coworking space in northeast Raleigh, which uniquely combines workspace functionality with the thrill of the automotive world.
“We literally created an environment to have conversation pieces within our walls,” said Anthony You, cofounder, and CRO. “It’s a different connection, but it immediately puts the guard down in the work environment or the coworking environment. We help get all these like-minded people in one location.”
Anthony You, Carspace cofounder and CRO
Inspiration
Car Space was cofounded by You along with Dave Younts as CEO and Jonathan Fifield as COO. The three met and initially bonded over – what else? – cars.
“Jonathan happened to be walking in the neighborhood and saw one of Dave’s cars and that was the jumping-off point,” said You. “He’s like, ‘Oh my god, I love your car,’ and that’s how they met.”
You himself is a veteran of coworking spaces.
“I attempted to go to all the WeWorks in New York City when I was living there just for fun,” he confided. But he quickly realized post-pandemic that people didn’t want to go into the city and tended to gravitate to options that were more convenient.
He saw other trends in the coworking spaces as well.
“One of the biggest things that I noticed about coworking is anywhere I went, around two or three o’clock everybody disappeared,” said You.
So, to help keep their members engaged and on the premises, Carspace also includes a social club. Members and their guests can enjoy a variety of activities and amenities, including golf simulators, racing simulations, and a smoking room for savoring a celebratory cigar after a successful deal. The facility also includes a full bar and offers a range of catered food options.
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“It gives [members] the ability to say, Oh, well, you know, I’ll fly my client in because we can work and then we can go next door to the bar and enjoy,” said You. “We have an environment that pretty much encourages you to stay there.”
Challenges and Opportunities
The journey to creating this innovative space wasn’t without its challenges. The founders initially planned for car condos but had to pivot due to unforeseen building costs and the changing dynamics of the pandemic.
You also acknowledged that they were new to commercial ventures. “It was more of a passion project,” he admits.
That hasn’t slowed down their visions for the future. The three founders are already looking to expand to other cities, with plans for locations in Charlotte, Costa Mesa, California, and Long Island, New York. The Charlotte location is in the planning stage, with a goal of opening this time next year. For that location, the team is scaling up, aiming to have a full restaurant with 4,000 sq ft in front.
“[The restaurant] will have built-in customers from the membership. So it’s almost guaranteed that there’s going to be customers every day,” said You. “And we’ll be able to cater our events. So it’s a very symbiotic type of relationship.”
Promising Start
Weeks after opening its doors, the coworking space has already received positive feedback from members who credit their increased business success to the unique environment.
“We’ve already received letters from people saying they’ve increased their business 10x just by being in our environment because everybody there is successful and career-oriented,” said You.
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And while the membership leans toward the high-end, the founders have sought to create a distinct space for combining innovation, passion, and community.
“We wanted to make sure it was open to younger people who are looking for mentors or trying to get information where it’s not available,” explained You.
The community gathered last week for an Annual Car Space Gala. The event was black tie and includes a car show and after-gala soiree.
The space will have an Open House on Sept. 16, which includes its monthly car show.
