Local owners of Dogwood Coffee will be the first franchisees of coworking company The Coven.

Community owners Dan and Angie Anderson of Dogwood will operate the first franchised location of the inclusivity-focused coworking space in the former Studio MPLS building at 4009 E Lake Street. This Coven location is set to open in the spring and will exclusively offer private offices and designated desks, but members of The Coven Lake Street will also have access to The Coven Eat Street and The Coven St. Paul.

The owners were already in the process of purchasing the building next to its Lake Street location when The Coven announced it would franchise, Coven co-founder and partner Alex West Steinman told TCB on Wednesday.

“We wanted to work in a community with entrepreneurs and be able to support them on their journeys to support coworking,” Steinman said. “When Dan and Angie (Anderson) came to us to offer a unique way for them to utilize the space that they were purchasing, it was kind of a no-brainer, because we love working in the community with folks just like them. We’re looking for more folks across the country to do that with as well.”

This partnership with Dogwood is just the start. The Coven’s goal for the year is to franchise three new spaces, and the company is currently in talks with locations out of state as well. While Coven is not yet announcing where these new locations may be, the company has had its eye on cities in states like Indiana and Michigan.

Steinman noted research has shown that around 50% of commercial real estate leases will be up within the next four to five years, and the majority will not be renewed.

“A lot of people will be looking for more flex or hybrid workspaces like a Coven,” she said. “It’ll be nice to have diverse options for people.”

The Coven currently offers private offices and community coworking spaces in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Lake Street location fits right in the middle between the existing offices, Steinman said. While community spaces are transitional and able to accommodate more people, Coven’s private office space offerings are currently full, so Steinman said it’s exciting to have openings in the new location, especially one located near the Dogwood coffee shop and other community businesses.

“Having walkable amenities is a really important part of having a Coven,” Steinman said. “Many folks are coworking out of their homes, but want access to lunch, dinner, or coffee in the neighborhood. It’s exciting to be right next door to Dogwood where folks can kind of float between spaces for meetings, or a break from their day-to-day routines,” she said.