Jill Dretzka opened South Austin coworking space Work & Woof in 2018 with two goals in mind—to offer remote workers a place to work while their dog had an opportunity to be social and exercise, and to open an indoor space where dogs could play and exercise when the Texas weather is not ideal. Originally from Southern California, Dretzka moved to Chicago in 2012 and was self-employed as a social media marketer. She said in Chicago she discovered the concept of coworking spaces—businesses that offer a space and resources that allow individuals to work and network remotely.
“I just loved the idea that I could have an actual office to go to and meet other entrepreneurs,” Dretzka said. “Getting to go out and network in the city helped get new clients instead of being held up in my apartment.”
However, when she moved to Austin in 2017 and adopted her dog, Lucca, she had trouble finding an affordable way to pay for both a coworking space and a dog day care. While some spaces allowed dogs to accompany workers, they either had to be booked far in advance or they did not accommodate the dogs, Dretzka said.
She said she started asking her neighbors and freelance friends about their past coworking experiences to gauge if there would be interest in a combined concept.
