In Livingston, a Coworking Venue for Performance Car Enthusiasts
In Livingston, one company has introduced a new form of coworking space: a combination coworking facility and driving club.
Opened in July by former tech-startup founder Marco Colasacco, Drivers Club provides desks and tables at 7 Industrial Parkway for new companies and individuals looking to build their businesses, but it also offers them drive time in classic cars: a Porsche 911, BMW M3, an Alfa Romeo 4C, Dodge Viper GTS ACR or a Shelby GT350.
At the Drivers Club launch | Drivers Club
Enrollment is extremely limited, said Colasacco, and you must be a true car enthusiast to be allowed to work in the space. You can’t just be someone who wants to rent a car to show off and be splashy.
Colasacco explained that he sees this as a proof of concept, and sees the option of opening themed workspaces based on other enthusiasms down the road. “Suppose you could work with like-minded individuals who are crazy for music or who love golf?” The shared devotion to a pastime or hobby can help make forming connections to folks easier and facilitate networking, he said. Having people get together over an enthusiasm makes the opportunity to build relationships and conduct business a lot more valuable, he said.
Right now, most of Colasacco’s clientele are local business owners who need an out-of-the-home office. “We use the cars almost like furniture. The space itself is 2,700 square feet and we have concrete floors, like a garage. The cars are in here among the workspaces, and among the kitchen, the couch and the lounge. We have a couple of diner-type tables, so you can make a call and have lunch with somebody. You are just among the cars. I’ve seen some people jump into a car to make a call for added privacy
“People who are into this, people who have the addiction I have, appreciate being able to do a business deal sitting around a bunch of cars that they love.”
The space also features a custom wrought-iron table that seats 10, Wi-Fi and a printer. “We are fully stocked, and you can work here like it’s your office. Everything you need is right here,” he said.
NJTechWeekly.com asked Colasacco how he got the idea for the space. He said that he was in the real estate investment business and had been a professional musician. Also, he tried to launch two tech companies.
The facility’s kitchen | Drivers Club
“I’ve been around the tech scene, and I wanted to find a creative solution where I could do all the things I wanted to do. I wanted to have these cars, but I wanted to share them with people.” The solution was to share the cars through a coworking space for a membership fee. If you want to drive the cars, there is a reservation fee above and beyond the fee for the coworking space.
“We’re going to cap membership at 40 to 50 people to keep this small and intimate. We plan to host networking events, and we’ll do other things like take our members out to the racetrack. What we are doing is building a community, and I think that’s important.”
