: A 14,000 square foot space in the Fifth Third Center at 21 E. State St. will give Serendipity a location in the downtown core.

COLUMBUS—New York-based Serendipity Labs Coworking has big plans to expand across the US, including in many secondary cities, and just hit a big milestone in Columbus, an increasingly robust office market. Renascent Hospitality, its local franchise development partner, has signed two leases for Serendipity. The first is slated to open summer of 2017 with 14,000 square feet in the Fifth Third Center at 21 E. State St. The second—in new construction at 900 N. High St.—is for 22,000 square feet in The Short North, a neighborhood with new boutique hotels, restaurants and retail.

Columbus natives and local business owners Trevor Warner and Scott Somerville run Renasent, a preferred management company for Marriott and Hilton Hotels.

Serendipity expects franchise operators with such local expertise will help it quickly expand into secondary cities. It now has a six locations, but also has about an additional 100 in its development schedule.

“We're looking to get national coverage quickly,” John Arenas, Serendipity's chief executive officer, tells GlobeSt.com, as opposed to confining itself to the core downtowns. With national coverage, Serendipity will appeal to corporations with far-flung operations, and not just smaller tech start-ups and freelancers. “The majority of leases for office space are for less than 5,000 square feet,” and rather than use conventional leases, many companies may prefer the agility of quick leases with Serendipity that provide ready-made office spaces and amenities.

“Our members are experienced professionals from a cross section of industries,” Arenas adds. “About 45% are employees of well-recognized companies, 20% are start-ups, and 35% are independents. More than 40% are women – double the industry average.”

And although the firm has also launched corporate-owned sites in core cities, having franchisees launch in office markets like Columbus solves many problems. For one thing, it will allow Serendipity to open in dozens of smaller markets without having to raise $100 million in capital.

Furthermore, as locals Somerville and Warner know the Columbus business community, and as hospitality operators, they can provide that kind of service and attention office tenants want in these office options. Arenas wants office users to see Serendipity as “an extension of the hospitality industry, and not as an extension of the office industry,” making hoteliers a perfect match for the company.

“Trevor is a life-long resident, and I've been here for more than a decade,” says Somerville. “Columbus is fast becoming a Midwest hub for national business and we wanted to offer a co-working option that will become part of the vibrant, exciting fabric that is the Columbus business community. Serendipity allows established companies to confidently extend their footprint and gives fast-growing ones a flexible option that can expand with their needs. Members have easy access to the growing network of locations across the country for remote meetings – a benefit unique to Serendipity. It is hospitality-driven co-working so that companies can focus on their core business, innovation, and new ideas — but as a Columbus-based company, we take pride in ensuring a member experience that 'big box' co-working simply cannot.”

Memberships include use of dedicated private offices, team rooms, full-time and part-time co-working and day passes. All members may take advantage of the lab café, work lounge, and phone retreats with dedicated landlines. Corporate memberships offer centralized billing and reporting. The local Columbus team will curate a full schedule of programming, meetups and seminars and the space may be reserved for off-site and evening events.

: A 14,000 square foot space in the Fifth Third Center at 21 E. State St. will give Serendipity a location in the downtown core.

Columbus natives and local business owners Trevor Warner and Scott Somerville run Renasent, a preferred management company for Marriott and Hilton Hotels.

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Serendipity Labs Growing in the Midwest

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