Inside Workbar’s Expansion in Needham: A Conversation on Growth and Partnership
Mike Wilcox, Managing Director of Leasing at Bulfinch, sat down with Sarah Travers, CEO of Workbar, following the company’s recent announcement of a lease expansion at Bulfinch’s 117 Kendrick Street office R&D property in Needham, MA.
The expansion will add new private offices, expanded coworking neighborhoods, a dedicated conferencing center, and enhanced amenities thoughtfully designed to support hybrid teams, project-driven groups, and distributed workforces across the MetroWest region.
Mike and Sarah discuss what commercial real estate trends are driving leasing interest in markets like Needham, the partnership between the two firms, and what is next for office amenities and retention strategies.
Location & Market
Mike: Can you tell us a bit about the Needham location and what makes it such a strong fit for Workbar?
Sarah: Needham isn’t a satellite market. It’s a power center. You have decision-makers living there. Operators building companies there. Enterprise teams distributed across MetroWest who don’t need a downtown address, they need a professional, high-performance place to work.
What makes Needham such a strong fit for Workbar is that it mirrors who we’re built for: serious professionals who want flexibility without sacrificing standards. It’s not about avoiding Boston. It’s about acknowledging where talent actually lives and building infrastructure around that reality.
That’s why Needham works.
Mike: What stood out to you about the Needham market when you were evaluating growth opportunities?
Sarah: Two things: talent and demand.
The talent pool in MetroWest is deep, executives, engineers, sales leaders, founders, many of whom were sitting at kitchen tables post-COVID or driving into Boston when they didn’t need to.
The demand was clear:
- Companies wanted distributed office strategies.
- Teams wanted regional hubs.
- Individuals wanted professional space near home.
Needham checked all the boxes: strong demographics, strong corporate base, and a community that values high-quality environments.
Expansion Strategy
Mike: You recently expanded this location. What were the key drivers behind that decision?
Sarah: Simple: it was working.
We saw sustained occupancy, consistent tour volume, and companies asking for:]
- Larger team suites
- More private offices
- More flexibility to grow without relocating
This is the second time we’ve expanded at this location — each time in response to real, sustained demand.
Both expansions started the same way. Mike Wilcox reached out and said, “It looks really busy in your space… want to take a look at what’s available?” The timing aligned both times, and the process was seamless and straightforward from start to finish.
Mike: How does this expansion reflect broader trends you’re seeing in flexible workspace demand?
Sarah: Companies are moving away from “one HQ, 200 SF per person” models.
What we’re seeing instead:
- Regional hubs
- Smaller team spaces
- 2–3 day/week usage
- Scalability without long-term risk
Needham embodies that shift. It supports hybrid schedules without wasted space. It supports growth without overcommitment.
This is not temporary behavior. It’s structural.
Partnership with Bulfinch
Mike: How has Bulfinch been as a partner throughout this process?
Sarah: Bulfinch has been thoughtful, aligned, and long-term oriented.
They’ve seen firsthand the value of Workbar in their building. During the pandemic, we opened our spaces for free to Massachusetts students who couldn’t participate in remote learning because they didn’t have reliable internet at home. Robert Schlager, President of Bulfinch, saw the story on Chronicle and called me personally to say how proud he was that Workbar was in his building. We value the personal relationship with the property owner, which is a key factor in our decision to expand within Bulfinch’s property.
We operate best when we’re embedded with landlords who think about value over decades, not quarters.
Mike: In what ways do Workbar and Bulfinch align strategically in how you support growing businesses and communities?
Sarah: Both organizations believe strong buildings support strong communities. Bulfinch invests in assets that attract serious businesses. Workbar creates environments that help those businesses thrive.
We align on:
- Quality over gimmicks
- Long-term relationships
- Professional environments that scale with companies
It’s about creating ecosystems, not just filling square footage.
Evolving Member Needs
Mike: Both of your organizations are focused on supporting businesses – spatially and beyond. What changes have you seen in what members need today compared to a few years ago?
Sarah: Three major shifts:
- Flexibility without instability: Companies want agility, but they still need professionalism and reliability.
- Distributed team: Leadership teams are thinking regionally.
- Intentional design: People expect spaces built for focus, collaboration, and privacy, not just desks.
Mike: What has remained consistent, despite shifts in how and where people work?
Sarah: People still crave:
- Energy
- Accountability
- Community
- A separation between home and work
Belonging has not changed. If anything, it matters more.
Membership & Benefits
Mike: How have your membership offerings evolved to meet these changing expectations?
Sarah: We’ve expanded to include:
- TeamShare programs for distributed companies
- Scalable private office footprints
- Regional access across 11+ Greater Boston locations
- Enterprise-ready infrastructure
Our goal is simple, companies shouldn’t have to choose between flexibility and stability.
Mike: What benefits resonate most strongly with today’s members?
Sarah: The top three:
- Geographic flexibility – access across the network
- Scalability – grow without renegotiating every six months
- Community energy – the feeling when you walk in and people are there
Members consistently say they come for the convenience, and stay for the environment.
Design & Build-Out
Mike: What went into the design and build-out of this expanded space?
Sarah: The expansion followed our activity-based neighborhood model:
- Café for energy
- Commons for collaboration
- Study for deep focus
- Switchboard for calls
We invest heavily in ergonomics, acoustics, lighting, and flow. This isn’t aesthetic coworking. It’s performance-driven workspace.
Impact & Success Stories
Mike: Can you share a case study or example of a member company that has grown or thrived within this space?
Sarah: We’ve seen multiple companies start with:
- 2–3 desks
- A small office
- Or even just regional passes
Then grow into multi-office footprints across our network.
One publicly traded company implemented a hybrid model using six regional Workbar offices to eliminate commutes over 20 minutes for their 40 Massachusetts employees. Instead of one large, underutilized HQ, they created 120 desk-days of distributed capacity per week.
No wasted space.
No bloated overhead.
No talent loss due to commute friction.
That’s what success looks like today.
Mike: Are there any member or company highlights that really showcase the value of this location?
Sarah: Several Needham-based member companies are featured in the case studies on our website.
CustomGPT, for example, has been with us for years, expanding into larger footprints as they’ve grown. As their CEO, Alden Do Rosario, put it, “The real value of Workbar lies in the intellectual capacity and the fidelity of the people around you.” That sentiment captures exactly what makes the environment powerful.
Charles River Regional Chamber has also called Workbar Needham home since 2020. As Katherine Herer, VP of Operations, shared, “It’s been fantastic. We’ve grown and adapted with the space, and it’s met us every step of the way.”
But what stands out most isn’t just one company’s story, it’s the concentration of serious operators working alongside each other every day. That density creates energy, accountability, and opportunity you simply can’t manufacture.
In Needham on any given day, you’ll find:
- Venture-backed founders
- Public company executives
- Growing professional services firms
- Remote enterprise employees
When those people collide in hallways and café tables, that’s when the real value shows up.
That overlap, that ecosystem, is the product.
And Needham is proof that suburban markets can absolutely deliver it.
117 Kendrick Street
Located in Needham, 117 Kendrick Street offers companies a highly accessible and amenity-rich workplace environment just off Route 128/I-95. The property sits adjacent to the 700-acre Cutler Park Reservation, providing direct access to scenic walking and jogging trails that allow employees to step outside and recharge throughout the day.
Tenants benefit from a range of on-site amenities designed to support productivity and convenience, including shuttle service to the Needham MBTA Green Line, free and dedicated parking, a full-service cafeteria, and a fully equipped fitness center. Recent capital improvements—including a newly renovated café and lounge, refreshed lobby areas, and enhanced outdoor spaces—further elevate the tenant experience and reinforce the building’s position as a premier workplace destination.
The property is professionally managed by Bulfinch’s on-site property management team, ensuring a responsive, hands-on approach that supports tenant operations and day-to-day needs.
Currently, 16,296 square feet of space is available for lease, offering companies the opportunity to join a dynamic and well-serviced workplace environment in one of Greater Boston’s most accessible suburban office locations.
Learn more about 117 Kendrick Street and Workbar
About the author: Mike Wilcox directs the firm’s leasing, tenant retention and marketing activities across Bulfinch’s portfolio. With close to two decades at Bulfinch, Mike has been involved in a diverse range of lease negotiations and transactions for Bulfinch, resulting in the growth of the company’s strong tenant roster and the stabilization of the portfolio. He has been instrumental in securing key tenants for Bulfinch including Forrester Research, Harvard University, Smithsonian Astrophysics Institute and Siemens.