A “Third Place” is simply a place you spend time at outside of home or work. This place offers a personal experience and fulfills an individual need.
When Dirk and I go to the local coffee shop, they know our usual drink and food order. Today, she asked me if I wanted bacon or sausage and I said, I am not sure – what do we normally order? She replied, bacon.
The barista knows I always get decaf and whole milk. She makes Dirk’s drink just the way he likes it – with a dab of honey. This is our third place. This is the place we spend time at outside of home or work (since the gym is our work) where we are happy and comfortable and people know us.
For most people, their third place is a gym like Recursive. A place you go to hang out with friends outside of your home and your work. The place you feel comfortable and welcome. The place that makes you feel glad you came! Our third place used to be the gym we worked out at, but now the gym is our work, so our third place has changed.
From the moment we started talking about opening a gym, the concept of the third place was there. We wanted to create more than just a place that people came to for an hour a day to workout at.
We wanted a place where there was a huge sense of community. We chose comfy couches in the front lobby so people could chill out between classes. We offer snacks and beverages so people have everything they need to hang out at the gym for as long as they want.
As a gym owner, I get to be one of the first ones to know when people are having babies, or getting engaged, or even sadly, when a loved one is sick or passed away, or when relationships are ending. The gym is so many peoples’ third place – and we are honored that so many people consider Recursive to be theirs!