Even after WeWork’s dramatic downsizing, San Francisco boasts an array of coworking spots where you can set up shop with your laptop, from the vibey Shack15 to the Ikea-adjacent Hej!Workshop and, of course, the Capital One Café in Union Square.
But while most charge a daily or monthly fee, the city’s best new coworking spot, located in a red-hot neighborhood for AI companies, is spacious, comfortable, and, most importantly, free.
The caveat? It’s a car dealership. And before you ask: Yes, you can work from a car.
The Hayes Valley showroom of electric truck company Rivian doubles as a “community space,” with a long table, lounge chairs, and cafe-like seating. And don’t feel bad about stretching out: The boss has given the green light.
“You come in with a laptop, and you work for three hours,” Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe said at the January opening.
The goal is to make visitors feel at ease, not like “you’re in a high-pressure sales situation,” said Scaringe, who lives in Woodside.
To put that premise to the test, two Standard reporters camped out for a full day of work last week. No one tried to sell us a car. They did ask if we needed a tour of the features of a Rivian R1, but, to be fair, we were about to start working from the backseat.
While there could have been more outlets, the coworking space at 314 Fell St. had comfy seating, zippy free WiFi, beautiful bathrooms, a water fountain, and well-calibrated background music. Big open windows let in a breeze, while the exposed brick walls and luscious plants felt luxe.
No luck on free coffee or tea; the Rivian team says this is an effort to have customers support local businesses, like the Blue Bottle on the same block or the bevvy of food options along Hayes Street.
Seanan Fong, who was also working at the dealership, said he views it as one of the area’s best-kept secrets — and frankly, he hopes it stays that way.
“It’s pretty chill and quiet,” he said. “I don’t want too many people to know about it.”
The founder of an SF community focused on non-religious spirituality, Fong said he’s never felt pressured by Rivian employees to pretend to browse a car or the other merchandise, like Aether jackets, Rumpl blankets, and Mafia bags.
“I hope there’s enough people and community goodwill so that they keep it open — but not so many people that it gets crowded,” Fong said.
Build IRL, a San Francisco accelerator for social clubs, highlighted the coworking space in its newsletter. “We were impressed,” said Build IRL cofounder Colton Heward-Mills.
Hevin Gil, who handles community engagement for the showroom, said it typically gets a handful of people who come in to work each day.
“We want this to be a third space,” he said. Rivian welcomes groups of any size, but Gil requests that parties of 10 or more call for a reservation. He added that interested parties can contact him to use the space after hours for a book club or cocktail hour, at no charge.
Justice and Ray Sumser, Alamo Square artists, completed a strength training class at the outdoor gym in the neighborhood center, in full view of the Rivian showroom. Their reactions to the coworking space were mixed.
“I wouldn’t work there, but then, I wouldn’t go work from the Apple store either,” Ray Sumser said. “I can’t imagine going there as a destination unless they gave me free coffee.”
Justice Sumser glumly noted that the Rivian space feels like an extension of the Hayes Valley obsession “with expensive, elitist stores.” But, she noted, it could be worse: “We’d definitely be Rivian people before we’d be Tesla.”