With free food, recreational luxuries, and a college dorm-like feel, Google's new Phoenix location turned the stereotypical-cubical-loaded-office space into a Gymboree for adults.
Google Phoenix had it's grand opening on Thursday, which is its first ever location on a university campus.
"A lot of this stuff is from IKEA," said Beth McRae, a public relations representative for the Google Phoenix location. IKEA is a popular, modern-style furniture and accessories store.
Plastic tables and chairs adorned in Google colors stood smack dab in the center of the office. Refrigerators and freezers were stocked with salami and ice cream sandwiches, bottles of water, soda pops, and energy drinks. There were small cubbies resembling those that were available in kindergarten, filled with a smorgasbord of candy that would put any movie theater to shame. A pool table and foosball table were next to a room that was showing the movie "Star Wars," while an Xbox 360 video game counsel was on the floor ready to be played.
"After you work hard and resist distractions, a person can play a round of pool and loud up on free caffeine," said David Sears, an employee at Excel Services.
Google employees rested in leather massage chairs and enlarged bean bags on a bright blue, red, yellow and green carpet, playing toss with a stress-relief ball.
"We want work to be fun, but serious," said Douglas Merrill, vice president of engineering for Google and head of the Phoenix Google office.
The new Google Phoenix headquarters is located on the second floor of the University Services Building on Rural Road just south of Apache Boulevard.
Instead of a ribbon cutting ceremony, a Native American blessed Google to grow in strength and to reach out to the market and its neighbors.
"We put our office here because we go where the talent is, and ASU and Tempe have large clusters of very smart people," Merrill said.
"We are going to work really well with Arizona State University, have internships, and hire as many people locally as we can," Merrill said. "When our doors opened on June 12, we had 50 people working here, but we are now aiming for 100, and we are going to keep on growing."
Onnie Shekerjian, a City of Tempe councilmember said that Tempe is, "tickled that they're [Google] here and we'd love to keep them here."
She said she likes to see businesses that have a great work and play MO, and Google is one of them.
Marshall Green, director of membership services for the Arizona Technology Council said, "I can walk in and tell if a company is going to make it, but with Google, I ask, 'When will they dominate?'"
Just like a college dorm, as long as there is free food, catered or in the fridge, people will not shy away.
"This brownie is like a flourless chocolate cake and not just a regular brownie," said City of Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman. "If only I had my coffee, then I'd be in heaven," he said.
A free gourmet coffee machine and espresso bar rested behind him.
Reach the reporter at: monis.rose@asu.edu.
