Scoop: Atlanta co-working club Switchyards to open two Charlotte clubs
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Switchyards Westside in Atlanta. Photo: Courtesy of Switchyards
Switchyards, a co-working company out of Atlanta, will open two clubs in Charlotte this spring in the Belmont and Oakhurst neighborhoods.
Why it matters: With its moody interiors, unlimited tea and coffee and its $100/month price point, Switchyards aims to be an accessible option for remote workers seeking alternatives to coffee shops or pricier local co-working spaces.
Flashback: Switchyards originated in Atlanta in 2019 before expanding into Nashville.
- There are currently 13 clubs in popular neighborhoods across the two cities, like Cabbagetown and Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta and East Hill in Nashville.
The big picture: The evolving workplace dynamic has led to a renaissance for co-working spaces, Axios' Sareen Habeshian reported. They're attractive to workers who don't want to return to the office post-pandemic but don't want to work in isolation, either.
What to expect: Switchyards calls itself a neighborhood work club — not a co-working spot (though the concept is nearly identical).
- Switchyards intentionally seeks out neighborhoods that are "slightly off the beaten bath but still accessible," the team tells Axios. Essentially, somewhere that's walkable, convenient and close to home.
- Charlotte is Switchyards' third city. They chose the Belmont and Oakhurst neighborhoods for their "walkable, creative and up-and-coming" characteristics, the team tells Axios.
If you go: Switchyards Belmont will open May 16 at 1125 Belmont Ave, in a historic corner store store next to Hillside Caribbean and a street over from ACE No. 3.
- Switchyards Oakhurst will open second, on June 6, in Oakhurst Commons (4014 Monroe Road), a shopping and dining campus that'll soon house additional tenants, including Mood House Oakhurst and craft beer shop, Pop the Top.
- Each Charlotte location will have 250 memberships available.
The vibe: Clubs are divided into three sections: a main cafe area for solo work and collaboration, a quiet library for concentration and phone booths members can book for meetings/calls.
What they're saying: Switchyards wants to be a "third place," meaning somewhere that's not home but also not work, CEO Michael Tavani tells Axios.
- That said, Switchyards also isn't a social club like Soho House.
- The company has focused on being a place for people to work around others. The social side, Tavani says, happens naturally.
How it works: Members will pay $100 per month for 24/7 access to all locations and bottomless coffee and tea. New members can get access for eight days for $12.
Fun fact: Tavani tells Axios Switchyards settled on a $100 monthly price point because they think of Switchyards as a consumer product and wanted to price it underneath the cost of a monthly cell phone bill.
What's next: Memberships for both clubs will drop May 7 at 10:00am. More info here.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the company's new address on Monroe Road.