Atlanta co-working startup to open first location outside Perimeter

Switchyards, an Atlanta-based shared workspace startup, is expanding outside of the Perimeter.

It is opening a location in Roswell on Aug. 29, the startup announced Wednesday. The move comes just three months after the company announced it had raised $5 million and was planning a massive expansion in the metro area and across the country.

Switchyards founder and CEO Michael Tavani describes his company as a “neighborhood work club” — a members-only space that is open 24/7, tucked into residential areas where people can come and get a few hours of work done.

Switchyards already has 10 locations in metro Atlanta, two in Charlotte and three in Nashville. It is opening its fourth Nashville club at the end of July. Membership is $100 a month and gives members access to all the clubs.

The locations have a distinct feel, filled with design magazines, vintage sports memorabilia, plush leather couches and a special good luck charm — massive Adidas sneakers. Switchyards clubs often have two main spaces, a common area and another meant for deep focus, quiet like a library. Clubs also have soundproof phone booths for private calls.

An eclectic playlist pipes through the common area, transitioning smoothly from traditional West African songs to rap to bossa nova. Members have access to unlimited tea, coffee and stroopwafels, the thin, Dutch sweet filled with caramel.

Switchyards is converting a large warehouse in Roswell into its newest club and will be selling 250 memberships starting Aug. 20.

Tavani told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in April his company planned to open 10 new locations by the end of year in intown Atlanta, the city’s suburbs, Nashville, Charlotte and potentially two other markets that Tavani declined to identify.

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