NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Downtown Development District (DDD) celebrated the opening of a new coworking space in the South Market District as The Shop officially expanded with its second Downtown New Orleans location alongside the continued growth of local technology company TrayAway.
The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, an all-day open house, and a happy hour attended by entrepreneurs, business leaders, commercial real estate professionals, economic development partners, and members of the Downtown community.
The event highlighted the growth of Downtown New Orleans’ entrepreneurship ecosystem and the increasing demand for flexible, collaborative workspaces that support companies at every stage of growth.
Located in the South Market District, the new 6,500-square-foot coworking space sits on the ground floor of The Standard at 798 S. Rampart St. and expands access to coworking memberships, private offices, and meeting spaces for startups, remote workers, creatives, and growing firms seeking a modern Downtown workplace environment. The location includes a mix of private offices, dedicated desks and shared workspace memberships designed to accommodate companies at different stages of growth.
“Downtown New Orleans continues to attract companies, like TrayAway, and entrepreneurs looking for dynamic spaces that foster collaboration and innovation,” said Seth Knudsen, DDD President and CEO. “The expansion of The Shop further strengthens the ecosystem of businesses, talent, and flexible work environments that are helping drive Downtown’s growth.”
The Shop’s original location at the Contemporary Arts Center has more than 500 members and has maintained fully leased office space for the past year, positioning the company for expansion to meet growing demand. The New Orleans expansion also reflects The Shop’s continued national growth which has included new locations in Brooklyn and Salt Lake City.
“We are excited to open The Shop’s new SOMA location and expand our services to more New Orleans professionals,” said Hugh Breckenridge, Community Manager at The Shop. “The Shop’s dynamic community has taken off at the CAC location, and now is the perfect time to grow into a new space in the heart of the South Market neighborhood. We look forward to building out our SOMA workspace and helping more New Orleans businesses set roots and take off.”
TrayAway Highlights Startup Growth Downtown
The event also spotlighted TrayAway as an example of a local company continuing to grow Downtown while utilizing flexible workspace solutions that evolve with expanding businesses. Founded in New Orleans, the hospitality technology company previously participated in The Idea Village’s VillageX accelerator program, which supports high-growth startups across the region. The Shop has also served as a hub for local entrepreneurship programming, including initiatives tied to The Idea Village and other business development organizations supporting high-growth startups in the region.
“TrayAway is thrilled to continue its growth in Downtown New Orleans by expanding into The Shop at South Market,” said Josh Johnston, CEO of TrayAway. “As a New Orleans-founded hospitality and healthcare technology company serving clients in more than 50 countries, we are excited to deepen our roots in Downtown New Orleans and be part of the continued growth of the South Market district.”
Attendees toured the new coworking space throughout the day while connecting with members of the business and economic development communities. The opening also highlighted the evolving role Downtown workspaces play in attracting talent, supporting entrepreneurship, and giving businesses the flexibility to scale in New Orleans.
