After years of planning, WOTSO, Australia’s largest coworking operator, has launched its first CookSpace, transforming a redundant building plant room into the country’s benchmark flexible food creation hub featuring 10 self-contained kitchens.
Designed with food delivery and pickup front of mind, it’s on the ground floor of a North Strathfield office block in Sydney’s inner-west with a car park and dedicated collection zone for the likes of DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Paula Dayeh, WOTSO’s Regional Manager NSW, says CookSpace is a culinary take on the coworking concept – no lock-in leases, space when you need it, and the opportunity to work in a group environment with other food entrepreneurs and businesses.
Dayeh says CookSpace is the first of its kind in Australia. “It’s an idea we’ve had for a long time and it’s so good to realise the vision, which we believe is unique to the Australian market,” she says.
“Our research shows that while there are kitchens to rent on a short-term basis in most capital cities, CookSpace is the first custom-built facility with multiple kitchens all available on flexible leasing terms.”
The kitchens, designed in consultation with leading chefs, are fitted out with gleaming new equipment and available for food entrepreneurs to lease by the hour, day, week or month, just like a coworking office space. All water, gas and electricity are included.
They are of varying sizes from 12 to 24 square metres and four have serving windows opening directly onto the forecourt, which will be activated into a dining area featuring recycled timber tables and seating to become Sydney’s newest food hub.
CookSpace manager Harry Faatoafe says there’s been interest from established food businesses and expects demand will also come from food truck operators, retail food startups, major food brands and restaurants that want to test local demand.
For Janette Moon, owner of neighbouring La Lune Market and the first client at CookSpace, the timing couldn’t have be better.
She says La Lune started toward the end of COVID when people were still using masks and couldn’t linger so they opted to showcase coffee, cake and sandwiches, a point of difference from other businesses in the area.
“We didn’t even build a kitchen because we weren’t sure what would happen after COVID,” says Moon.
Moon says shifting La Lune’s food preparation into CookSpace, which is literally next door to La Lune, enables the business to expand its offering and potentially diversify into catering.
“People have been asking for an expansion of the menu and we’re definitely expanding to more sit-down brunch and maybe catering, which will hopefully allow me to create more job opportunities.”
Enquiry details:
enquiries@wotso.com 1800 4 WOTSO (1800496876)
