Common Desk has developed a new coworking-space offering designed for larger teams and has already attracted its first big tenant.
An undisclosed Fortune 500 company has moved into Common Desk at Granite Park in Plano to take advantage of its new Headquarters-as-a-Service. The offering allows teams with 15-plus employees to lease fully-furnished, dedicated suites inside the Granite Park coworking space, Common Desk’s largest of four locations that opened in June occupying 30,000 square feet. Headquarters-as-a-Service tenants receive access to the technology and hospitality services the coworking space already offers its members.
The suites, expected to be completed by January, will be card-key accessible, equipped with metal desks and filing cabinets, glass whiteboards, 4K monitoring and wireless screen sharing, and access to phone booths that feature Bose speaker systems. Headquarters-as-a-Service customers will also have access to Granite Park amenities, which include conference rooms, a Zen room, a workout facility, lounge spaces, and an on-demand shuttle that offers free rides to Legacy West and The Shops at Legacy.
“Companies are realizing they can drop into these flexible environments and get a turnkey solution at the same cost, if not less than traditional real estate [offerings],” Common Desk Founder and CEO Nick Clark said, adding that he had noticed a developing trend of larger groups, including its newest tenant, seeking space at Common Desk in Plano. “They wanted something cool that would be a recruitment tool for college grads, so this is what helped make sense to produce that vibe.”
The undisclosed company, which had been operating a small team at another coworking space nearby, was looking for just that when its people toured Common Desk in Plano about a month ago. “They knew they were growing their team quickly and they were looking for a quick deal,” Clark said. “We just so happened to be finishing our Headquarters-as-a-Service product.” Though Common Desk is still building out the suites, which he calls “a spec-suite offering on steroids,” the Fortune 500 company has already moved its 45-person team in.
Common Desk is also testing new mini-bar fridges and food trays equipped with sensors that would automatically charge members when they grabbed a drink or snack during their workday. The goal, according to Clark, is to increase the level of hospitality to mirror that of a five-star boutique hotel. He also plans to expand the Headquarters-as-a-Service offering at select future Common Desk locations.
