COhatch fuels expansion with a focus on suburbs
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
COhatch has grown into a network of over 40 coworking spaces. Photos: Courtesy of COhatch
A decade after launching and six years after the pandemic-era pivot to remote work, Columbus' largest coworking brand is still growing and adapting to a new era.
Why it matters: COhatch has grown from a single Worthington location to a network of around 40 spaces spread across seven states amid the pandemic, return-to-office mandates and high-profile coworking industry failures.
The big picture: Many employees are going back to offices — by mandate or their own preference — while others are looking for places to collaborate.
- Columbus is Ohio's fastest-growing coworking market, with 78 spaces and 110,000 square feet of new inventory in 2025, according to an industry report from CoworkingCafe.
- But workers aren't just looking for a desk. They're feeling isolated and craving the community once delivered by traditional offices.
Flashback: From the beginning, that sense of community was key to COhatch's goal to provide a "third place" in a world that's eliminating them.
- That philosophy emphasizes gatherings and perks like free event space, specialty rooms with arcades and golf simulators, and discounts at area businesses.
- "We want to be where you work, but also where you socialize by giving you different experiences all around town," CEO and co-founder Matt Davis tells Axios.
The intrigue: That meant one major gamble: going all-in on suburbs.
- Rather than downtown skyscrapers and offices, Davis wanted locations close to homes, schools, restaurants and coffee shops that offer something new to the neighborhood.
The gamble has paid off. While other coworking companies were booming and busting over the last five years, COhatch locations were insulated from struggling downtowns during the pandemic.
- "We did not lose money during COVID — we built during COVID."
Today, there are 12 COhatches in Central Ohio with another on the way, plus locations in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton and beyond the state.
- Downtown Powell is the newest.
What's next: Expect the company's next phase of growth to be slower and slightly more deliberate, focusing on "beautiful, significant, unique developments," according to Davis.
A new anchor "village"
Davis' goal has been to create a holistic community work space that doesn't feel like a traditional office, and an upcoming Dublin expansion may serve as a culmination of his efforts.
The latest: COhatch Riverview Village involves a partnership with the City of Dublin (which provided $11 million in infrastructure investment) for a major development in the heart of the city's booming Bridge Park.
- The project was announced in 2023, with plans finalized last December and an expected opening by the end of 2027.
What to expect: Branded as an "innovation district," Riverview Village will have seven buildings on 2 acres of office, coworking, meeting and event space, and a 14,000-square-foot COhatch headquarters.
- Three restored historic houses will be renovated into retreat and socializing spaces, with plans for small business fairs, startup events and other gatherings.
- Plus: North High Brewing plans a new bar and café concept called Reds.
The intrigue: The "village" is designed to attract everything from team outings to corporate visitors.
- "Honda could rent a whole home for their board meeting for a day … instead of going into the woods somewhere for a retreat," Davis says.
- He dreams of someday hosting 200 startups working from the various spaces.
The bottom line: When finished, the space will be the heart of the entire COhatch operation.
- "It's our way of ensuring that there's no question people want to be here and to use it. It will be like a magnet, the central hub for all of COhatch."
