Quest Workspaces Adds 45K SF To South Florida Footprint
Quest Workspaces is expanding in South Florida amid strong demand for coworking space in the region.
The coworking firm is doubling the size of its location in Boca Raton while it renovates its existing space at the property and completes a 23K SF location in Coral Gables. Once the locations open later this year, Quest will have 13 locations in Florida and New York, including 11 coworking spaces in South Florida.
Quest’s 22K SF expansion at 1200 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton is expected to open in September, CEO Laura Kozelouzek said. It is one floor above the firm’s current location and will include 86 private offices with private phone booths, a nap room, a treadmill room, a café and a community area.
The firm is also finalizing the designs for its second Coral Gables location at 121 Alhambra Towers. The new location is expected to deliver in November and will include 80 new private offices across the 10th floor, as well as wraparound terraces that Quest subscribers will have access to for both work and events.
Quest is working with the building’s landlord, Allen Morris Co., on the build-out, and some of the amenities in the space will be available to other tenants at the property.
“We're also building out a building amenity within our space, a conference room and also the common area,” Kozelouzek said. “One of the terraces is going to be used for all the tenants as well, which we love because we'd love to become an amenity in the building and work alongside the landlord to create that synergy.”
The Boca Raton Quest space being renovated was the first to open after Quest was founded in 2010. The firm now occupies more than 360K SF and serves more than 3,000 clients. Quest is exploring further opportunities to expand in South Florida, but Kozelouzek said she was focused on identifying quality locations that fit within the company’s business model.
“We just do what makes sense and what’s smart and what I think is going to add to our product offering that we don't currently have and that our clients are going to find real value in,” Kozelouzek said. “As long as I can keep finding those, I'll keep on growing.”
Quest made headlines last month when it unveiled a hot-pink private office at its 1395 Brickell Ave. location to coincide with the release of the Barbie movie. The office, adorned with a diamond-tufted office chair and sequined throw pillows, generated 94 million media impressions and is fully booked for free visits through the end of the month, Kozelouzek said. Its success in generating buzz has led her to consider creating more themed offices.
“It's funny, no matter how many serious things you do — we give away spaces to nonprofits, we do a lot of really good work and serious work — you do something that's fun and lighthearted, and it just goes to show that people need to have fun at work as well,” she said.
Quest’s latest growth is part of a rapid expansion of coworking in South Florida. Miami saw a 143% increase in demand for flexible office space last year, according to The Instant Group, and the city had 1.6M SF of coworking space across 59 locations at the beginning of this year, according to JLL.
Kozelouzek said her firm’s nine South Florida locations were around 90% occupied and that Quest’s current Boca Raton location is fully occupied even as it is being renovated.
The location’s performance is “a combination of demand and [clients] like what we do, so they live through the pain because they know it's worth it,” she said.
