Inside dating app Tinder's new San Francisco office, where teams are devoted to studying Gen Z and employees are served tasty local lunches through Caviar

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Inside dating app Tinder's new San Francisco office, where teams are devoted to studying Gen Z and employees are served tasty local lunches through Caviar

tinder san francisco office tour 10

Katie Canales/Business Insider

Companies with Silicon Valley offices are expanding into San Francisco to cater to millennial, city-dwelling techies.

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  • Historically, Silicon Valley has been the place to set up shop if you wanted to make an industry splash, and it still is.
  • But some tech giants as we know them today didn't even start in Silicon Valley proper as was the custom. Uber, Twitter, and Salesforce all were bred in San Francisco.
  • And in recent years, hotshots like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Cisco with Silicon Valley offices have also opened offices in San Francisco.
  • Silicon Valley VC firms and accelerators have jumped in on the migration too, like Y Combinator and 500 Startups, as TechCrunch's Kate Clark writes.
  • It's all part of a growing trend that has companies - both those that were founded in the Valley and outside of it - with Silicon Valley offices expanding with San Francisco locations to compete for millennial techies who are chasing a more urban lifestyle and experience.
  • The LA-based dating app Tinder is one of the latest companies to do so. The company moved into an office in Palo Alto in 2016, and in early November 2019, opened a crisp, new office space in San Francisco's Soma district, just a few blocks away from the Salesforce Tower.
  • We took a look around Tinder's new San Francisco office. Check it out.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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The new Tinder space in San Francisco is housed in a century-old building known as the Rialto in the city's Soma district.

The new Tinder space in San Francisco is housed in a century-old building known as the Rialto in the city's Soma district.

The office opened on November 6. Only 30 employees work out of it at the moment, but there are 25 open positions, with most being product and engineering-focused.

The office opened on November 6. Only 30 employees work out of it at the moment, but there are 25 open positions, with most being product and engineering-focused.
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Tinder's lead technical recruiter Peddy Farjad told Business Insider that the office opening was "a strategic move" to be in close proximity to San Francisco's tech talent.

Tinder's lead technical recruiter Peddy Farjad told Business Insider that the office opening was "a strategic move" to be in close proximity to San Francisco's tech talent.

Tinder's East Bay-ers, as the residents living east of the city across the bay are called, also benefit from the new San Francisco location. Before, those employees would have had a lengthier commute to the Palo Alto office.

Tinder's East Bay-ers, as the residents living east of the city across the bay are called, also benefit from the new San Francisco location. Before, those employees would have had a lengthier commute to the Palo Alto office.
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The new office is in the heart of the city, and city-dwelling workers could bike to work if they chose to — there's a space a few levels below the office to store bikes.

The new office is in the heart of the city, and city-dwelling workers could bike to work if they chose to — there's a space a few levels below the office to store bikes.

The San Francisco spot may have just opened, but it's already decked out in the finest trappings of a Silicon Valley office.

The San Francisco spot may have just opened, but it's already decked out in the finest trappings of a Silicon Valley office.
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There's a designated room for massages, as well as yoga mats for yoga sessions.

There's a designated room for massages, as well as yoga mats for yoga sessions.

A walking treadmill desk is set up for employees to use as a break from their regular desks.

A walking treadmill desk is set up for employees to use as a break from their regular desks.
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Refrigerators are stocked with soda, La Croix sparkling water, and alcohol.

Refrigerators are stocked with soda, La Croix sparkling water, and alcohol.

Kitchens come with an assortment of snacks and a sophisticated water purification system.

Kitchens come with an assortment of snacks and a sophisticated water purification system.
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A ping pong table sits adjacent to one of the kitchens.

A ping pong table sits adjacent to one of the kitchens.

And food from a rotating list of local San Francisco restaurants is served daily by Caviar.

And food from a rotating list of local San Francisco restaurants is served daily by Caviar.
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It's a shift away from other tech companies providing free lunch from in-house cafeterias for their employees instead of frequenting local businesses in the neighborhood.

It's a shift away from other tech companies providing free lunch from in-house cafeterias for their employees instead of frequenting local businesses in the neighborhood.

Source: CBS News

When we visited, breakfast items like scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, fruit, and veggies were being served from Schilling Cafe, and Shanghai Dumpling King was featured for lunch.

When we visited, breakfast items like scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, fruit, and veggies were being served from Schilling Cafe, and Shanghai Dumpling King was featured for lunch.
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Employees can use an elevator to get to a rooftop seating area, which serves as a front-row seat to the city's towering glass high-rises.

Employees can use an elevator to get to a rooftop seating area, which serves as a front-row seat to the city's towering glass high-rises.

The tip of the Salesforce Tower and LinkedIn's black cubed office building are both in view from this vantage point.

The tip of the Salesforce Tower and LinkedIn's black cubed office building are both in view from this vantage point.
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There's a lot going for Tinder at the moment: Tinder is arguably the most-used of Match Group's batch of dating platforms.

There's a lot going for Tinder at the moment: Tinder is arguably the most-used of Match Group's batch of dating platforms.

Source: Fast Company

One of its newest features is Swipe Night, which is a new in-app feature that allows users a more interactive experience with each other.

One of its newest features is Swipe Night, which is a new in-app feature that allows users a more interactive experience with each other.
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More features like it will likely be built since teams in the new San Francisco office will in part be working on new experiences like it.

More features like it will likely be built since teams in the new San Francisco office will in part be working on new experiences like it.
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