Everyone knows when it’s the first Wednesday of the month at Hashtag. The smell of freshly-made waffles and warm maple syrup hits you as soon as you walk in, and the chatter of members and guests alike echoes from down the hall. Waffle Wednesday is definitely a beloved tradition at Hashtag Cowork Place!

Waffle Wednesday started in August of 2018 after our first Community Catalyst, Carley Feil, visited a coworking space in Phoenix, Arizona. She was inspired by their weekly waffle routine, which brought together members to enjoy a classic breakfast with one another. She told me that a few things struck her; people love waffles, food brings people together, and she has a cat named Waffle. To her, it just made sense to bring this tradition to Hashtag Cowork Place!

I only got to experience one in-person Waffle Wednesday before Hashtag temporarily closed due to COVID-19, but let me tell you – it was something to see! Carley said Waffle Wednesday has come a long way since the first one in 2018. Back then, she only went through one box of waffle mix. Now, she’s up to six waffle irons and countless boxes of mix! Carley is like superwoman, feeding and connecting with Hashtag members and the greater community. Waffle Wednesday has grown to be a favorite Hashtag tradition enjoyed by everyone in the Bitwise ecosystem … a lot like Pretzel Day in The Office! 

Everyone knows that the first Wednesday of each month means waffles.

When the decision was made to start working from home, Carley and I started brainstorming ways to keep our community engaged and connected. It wasn’t long before we realized Waffle Wednesday needed to go virtual. At first I was a little concerned about how it would work. Do we send our waffle recipe out to members? Create “build your own waffle kits” for folks to pick up? Would anyone even want to attend this event virtually? But when we started, those concerns faded away. Even though we couldn’t enjoy waffles in person, our community just loves connecting and catching up with each other –  no matter what form it takes.

Now, we each make our own breakfast at home. Sometimes it’s waffles and other times just a cup of coffee. What really matters is that we’re all together sharing about our week, new projects and goals, funny stories, and welcoming new employees or members. I didn’t have a real chance to meet very many people before we started working from home and Virtual Waffle Wednesday has been an awesome way to connect with new folks every month. Carley was right when she said that waffles have a way of bringing people together – even if we’re cooking and enjoying them in our own home!

Waffle Wednesday happens on the first Wednesday of every month, even virtually! Make sure to follow Hashtag Cowork Place on social media to stay-up-to-date on all of Hashtag’s virtual events, including Waffle Wednesday. To learn more about Hashtag, feel free to connect with our Community Catalyst, Sadie Cobb at [email protected].

Sadie Cobb is the Community Liaison at Hashtag Cowork Place, and is responsible for overseeing the Hashtag community, prospective members, and helping the Hashtag fam grow and connect with each other. Outside of the office, Sadie loves theater, playing music, and spending time with her family and friends.