Currently, three-fourths of the business’ spaces are already spoken for

ATASCADERO—On Thursday, March 21, StoryLabs’ new co-working space, The Co-Op, opened its doors and hosted the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce mixer. Atascadero News attended to get the scoop on the new business and to see how co-founders Greg Squires and Josh Berg turned the building, which used to house a furniture store and, before that, a hardware store, into a place for life and work stories to bloom.

“We’re really looking to build community here. People come for co-working to be productive because you need something more productive than home with the kids or more productive than the coffee shop,” said Squires about The Co-Op, which is located at 8965 El Camino Real. “But it’s not just about heads-down-work. It’s about connecting with others and learning from others. We do all kinds of lunch and learns and story hour where people can share their journey.”

He also said that StoryLabs makes sure to hold pitch sessions where people renting space can help each other think-tank upcoming presentations and ways to expand business ideas.

“We believe that the North County and the region need places where new things can be incubated, but at a human individual level,” added Squires.

The Co-Op isn’t StoryLabs’ first foray into co-working spaces. They also started one at Atascadero Bible Church (ABC), now called Bloom. They also used to have a space in San Luis Obispo (SLO) that is currently being rented out to a single tenant. 

“The main co-working for StoryLabs is happening right here in Atascadero now,” continued Squires.

The Co-Op, has been in construction mode since August 2023, but now after six months and a bright and colorful overhaul, it’s open. Inside, North County residents will find community, mentorship, and support.

“Our tagline is discover a bigger story for your life and work. What you do in a lab is you go work on things and cook up different concoctions and we all live stories, and share stories, and relate to stories. In a way it [The Co-Op] is a place to kind of work on our stories,” Squires stated.

Squires and Berg are both Atascadero residents, with Berg living here for seven years and Squires being here for 15 years, respectively. In that time they’ve already made a huge impact on the area.

“We only met a couple of years ago and getting to know each other there was this shared vision we had, [it] sort of collided and percolated at the top there. We wanted to have our businesses in Atascadero where we live and we wanted to find a place that was an asset to this city,” said Berg at the event.

Berg owns a homeschool curriculum publisher and retailer, and StoryLabs also has plans to host some small micro-school groups inside its walls.

Currently, The Co-Op is more than three-quarters full and most of their suites are already spoken for. There’s also a waiting list for members wanting flex-desks, where they can come and work anywhere in designated areas. 

Residents are encouraged to find out more, request a tour, or get a day pass at StoryLabs.work.

Featured Image: StoryLabs hosted the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce mixer in their new space The Co-Op. Photo by Rick Evans.