A start-up founded by former WeWork execs has opened an on-demand, enterprise-grade workspot on Washington Street in Hoboken, right in the heart of the mile square city’s main commercial district.
Daybase, the hybrid work company, launched its first location, a 5,000-square-foot street-level retail space that brings a new neighborhood-based work experience to local residents and businesses, according to a recent announcement.
The space offers members a variety of options, both bookable and unassigned, designed for individual and group work activities. The spaces are available completely on-demand, with bookable spaces reserved by the hour through the Daybase mobile app.
The founders of Daybase were joined by Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, along with Assemblypeople Annette Chaparro (D-Hoboken) and Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City); Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano; Hoboken city council members Tiffanie Fisher, Emily Jabbour, Jennifer Giattino and Phil Cohen; Hoboken Business Alliance Board President James Runkle; and others, for a ribbon-cutting and tour of the new space.
The company is developing a network of on-demand workspots in neighborhoods and communities across the country, to create a purpose-built third space, between home and the office, for the post-pandemic hybrid or remote worker.
“We created Daybase for the times when your office is too far, but home is too close,” Daybase CEO Joel Steinhaus said. “Employees are rejecting a return to the five-day commute. However, they need a place that offers the functionality of the office, with the convenience of being down the street and available when they need it. In Hoboken, we are excited to serve residents and local businesses. The opening of our first location represents step one in our long-term plan to build a national network of close-to-home workspots.”
Daybase Hoboken, located at 1450 Washington St., offers members unlimited access to the Daylounge, with additional credits available for bookable spaces. The Daylounge has open, unassigned seating for quick tasks and casual conversations, while bookable spaces serve a set of activities that have proliferated during the pandemic — quiet study space for focus work, private space for video conferencing and larger configurations for group collaborations. Non-members can also book time at Daybase through the app.
“The Daybase model allows companies the opportunity to reimagine the workplace as an ecosystem of tools oriented around the needs of their employees. Post-pandemic, providing autonomy, flexibility and choice has become table stakes in the war for talent,” Daybase Chief Operating Officer Doug Chambers said. “Hoboken is an ideal community for Daybase, home to many New York City commuters and local companies alike.”
“Due to the uncertain times caused by the pandemic, some enterprising people have decided to think outside the box,” Romano said. “Daybase is an example of this forward and progressive thinking to ensure that people feel secure in their work space. Since it is very flexible, this adds to the allure of Daybase. People need options and Daybase offers just that in a professional setting.”
The first Daybase will be followed by locations in Westfield and Harrison, New York, later this year. Through Daybase’s franchise model, the company will partner with local owners to develop locations across the country, close to where the hybrid and remote workforce lives.