Space within the beautiful Durham Bottling Co. building, a great place to create through content and co-working, will be available later this summer.

It’s no secret … after a long and difficult 16 months, people are itching to see each other in person.

Whether for important collaborations or just to say hello to team members and friends old and new, people are ready to mingle.

At Smashing Boxes, our office strategy is to work wherever we’re most productive with autonomy as the general rule. Now, we’re coupling that with select meetings together for important celebrations, collaborations, and events.

With this hybrid approach, we no longer need to be the sole tenants of 12,000 (out of 16,000) square feet of our beautiful historic warehouse in downtown Durham, N.C.

Following surveys of the Smashing Boxes team, conversations with other business leaders, research online, and learnings from actions of the big companies with established processes, Smashing Boxes’ CEO Nick Jordan decided to develop the space into a co-working location.

“COVID, and what it’s done to the workforce, is still evolving, so we’ll continue to be flexible,” Jordan said. ”Personally, I love being home more, but there’s no way I could be there all the time. Especially not if I know other coworkers, colleagues, friends, and/or competitors are all out in the world having in-person interactions.”

The Durham Bottling Co. building is now an inclusive community through content and co-working.

“Local, authentic community-based coworking concepts are needed,” said Jordan. “WeWork and the other large corporate players provide the commodity, fractional usage of space on flexible contracts for individuals and small teams. Where we see a need is for the value add, which is to create and cultivate a network within our community, in addition to the commodity offering. This is really best done by local operators.”

Jordan likened the situation to restaurants.

“National restaurant chains can make great food, but local restaurants, operated by local chef-owners, are places local customers prioritize,” he said. “It’s because those owners and chefs live in the community and care more about the holistic picture.”

Jordan, as a real estate developer, is interested in the future of the work/office hybrid model and the work-from-anywhere trend.

“I really think this is a great opportunity to build out another operating business that also helps the community,” said Jordan.

Smashing Boxes is looking for members to join this new community, from entrepreneurs to innovators to small business owners to freelancers to remote workers to artists to creatives, and more.

“We offer part-time memberships, community memberships, full-time memberships and private office space. And you can even host your own events in our space,” said Jordan.

Durham Bottling Company is the only community in Durham that’s both a HUB Zone and a qualified Opportunity Zone. The building has all the expected amenities for co-working, such as digital access control, free WiFi, copier/printer, office supplies, whiteboards, conference rooms, event space, coffee, proximity to downtown Durham amenities, and more.

With unique industrial features and view of downtown, Durham Bottling Co. is the perfect backdrop for any occasion, including weddings, dinner parties, professional events, and more.

Our warehouse-style building has more than 12,000 square feet of multi-faceted spaces, including nine event spaces with a mixture of modern and industrial charm. We offer indoor and outdoor options, and we can customize our space to fit any type of event.

If you’re interested in learning more about Durham Bottling Co. and its features, amenities, and pricing, visit www.durhambottling.com, where you can also sign up for our waiting list.

“Every Thursday this summer, we’ll be hosting open houses for those interested in touring the space,” said Jordan. “It’s important that we gauge the demand so we can staff and plan accordingly prior to a full opening, so please reach out and sign up if you’re interested. We expect space to go quickly.”

Please help share this news.

“We hope to see you in person soon,” said Jordan.

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