New players show a different side to Nashville coworking market

When one of the nation’s largest coworking operators warns of a potential bankruptcy — as WeWork did this past August — it might be tempting to jump to defeatist conclusions about coworking as a business model. But the gig is hardly up. As 1-in-5 workers continue to work from home, according to the latest census data, the demand for coworking is as strong as ever. That’s especially true in Nashville, with two out-of-state coworking operators, Miami-based Ampersand Studios and Atlanta-based Switchyards, adding Music City outposts this year.

Coworking, the blanket term for workers from different companies sharing the same office space, is not a new concept. Regus, which holds the largest share of coworking office space both worldwide and in Nashville, was Music City’s lone offering until 2010, when E|Spaces opened its first location at the Hill Center in Belle Meade. E|Spaces now has four locations in the area, with a fifth slated for next year in the 17th & Grand building near Music Row.