- The Long Beach area coworking operator has opened Studio X by Ironfire at SteelCraft in Garden Grove.
- The 320 square foot space offers meeting facilities on demand for anyone seeking an atypical, experiential location to meet with clients.
- The space can be booked on a daily or hourly basis.
GARDEN GROVE, CA – Nestled inconspicuously atop the popular outdoor eatery SteelCraft in Garden Grove is a new concept in remote work and meeting space from Long Beach area hospitality company and coworking operator Ironfire Workspaces. Branded Studio X by Ironfire, the 320 square foot space offers meeting facilities on demand for anyone seeking an atypical, experiential location to meet with clients, work alongside their team, or just gather with friends on a daily or hourly reservation basis.
“You could book a meeting room in some hotel or office building,” says Ironfire founder and CEO Josh Rencher, “but it wouldn’t provide the convenience or unique work vibe that Studio X offers.” Indeed, there’s a distinct energy and duality to the space. When you step inside, you’ll find a clean, well-appointed, professional meeting room with seating for twelve, fast WiFi, a Chromecast-enabled TV, whiteboard, laser printer, hot and cold filtered water, assorted teas, and other amenities. Stepping outside, you’re transported instantly to a vibrant neighborhood space filled with local craft food vendors, an arcade, a stage, and tons of communal seating. “It’s the only meeting space of its kind in a setting like this,” adds Rencher, who sought out similar spaces to model his idea after and found that it was largely uncharted territory. Beyond the in-room amenities, Studio X offers free parking, easy online booking with instant confirmation, and technical support on call.
Like the rest of SteelCraft, Studio X was built from repurposed shipping containers, a sustainable construction method that gives the entire project a creative, industrial feel. According to Rencher, dropping a meeting space into such an unusual context was as much experimental as it was strategic, but it’s already paying off. During its soft opening period in August, more than 60 hours of meeting time was booked at Studio X. Guests ranged from teachers to attorneys to CEOs, some traveling from as far as San Diego to meet their counterparts in person. While the majority of guests have booked the room for what might be considered traditional purposes, such as client meetings, depositions, trainings, interviews, and team work sessions, others have found more creative ways to make use of its novelty, including a poker night, a popup escape room, and even a wedding proposal. (She said yes!)
“At a time when so many of us have burned out from working in isolation,” adds Rencher,” it’s not difficult to see the appeal of coming together in a clean, safe space that balances professionalism and privacy with community and vibrancy.” Studio X is centrally located between LA and Orange County, making it a convenient and accessible meeting place for the region. The space is available for booking 8am-8pm, 7 days a week, at $40 per hour.
To sweeten the deal, Studio X has agreements with select SteelCraft vendors on site to offer exclusive food and beverage discounts to meeting room guests during their booking. Guests currently enjoy 10-15% off at Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, Duck Donuts, Bird Talk (chicken), and Barrio (Korean/Filipino).
Studio X is Ironfire’s first foray into the Orange County market, having previously operated work, meeting, and event spaces in and around Long Beach since 2017. Their flagship Bellflower location, which opened in May of this year, offers 8,500 square feet of private offices, coworking space, meeting rooms, event space, and common area amenities serving local freelancers, startups, and remote workers.
While the pandemic has made health and safety a top concern for many people, Ironfire has led the way in creating exceptionally safe environments for small, private gatherings. Guests of Studio X are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks and to physically distance themselves while meeting or working in the space. Hand sanitizer is provided for guests, and the space is cleaned thoroughly between bookings. Ironfire is also testing a low-touch approach to hospitality for Studio X, sending guests an access code by text message to unlock the room shortly before their booking begins.
The way people work and consume space has also changed forever. The freelancing platform Upwork found that 62% of companies surveyed were planning for more remote work in the foreseeable future. The Upwork report also predicts that 22% of Americans will be working remotely by the year 2025 — an 87% increase from pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 72% of workers surveyed want to continue working remotely at least part time on a permanent basis. Executives responding to the same survey expected to need 30% less office space in the next three years as “work from anywhere” becomes the new normal.
“More people are embracing the flexibility to choose where they get their work done,” says Rencher, “and it’s exciting every time someone discovers Studio X and makes it part of their solution.”
About Ironfire Workspaces
Ironfire Workspaces provides a platform for working happier, healthier, and more productively. They offer flexible work, meeting, and event space on demand, enhanced by technology, hospitality, premium amenities, engaging events, and a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, small business owners, and remote workers. From coworking to private offices, meeting and event space to virtual office services, Ironfire enables people to work for themselves without working by themselves.
About Studio X by Ironfire
Studio X by Ironfire is a standalone meeting room or day office and is the newest addition to the Ironfire Workspaces network. Located at the SteelCraft outdoor urban eatery in Garden Grove, it offers private seating for twelve, fast WiFi, a Chromecast-enabled TV, whiteboard, laser printer, hot and cold filtered water, assorted teas, and other amenities on a daily or hourly reservation basis.
