A look inside Twitter's New York office, where employees enjoy rose on tap, a basement cafe, and a fully-stocked kitchen run by a top chef
"We are so lucky to have a wide range of working spaces that encourage collaboration and creativity," Niketa Patel, Twitter's news partnerships manager, told us after our tour. "From inspiring artwork to rosé on tap, this is the best office I've ever worked in!"
There are also a few spots that are perfect for employees to congregate — like the mini-kitchens on each floor. Here's one with a fridge full of beer and rosé on tap for office happy hours.
... or even a quiet meeting.
Next, we headed out of the cafeteria to check out the rest of the office. Twitter employs an open office plan, but there are plenty of places to hide away for a private phone call ...
Tucked away in the corner of the cafeteria, we also saw a floral art installation. It was supposed to be temporary, but Twitter employees ended up liking it too much to take it down.
The cafeteria also features some vivid screens illustrating Twitter's top trends. Celebrities — like TI and Seth Meyers, just to name two recent visitors — sometimes stop by the cafeteria to chat with Twitter employees, too.
Gandara and his team are working to incorporate more and more local ingredients grown from within 200 miles of the office. Recycling food is also a major kitchen initiative.
They're constantly mixing things up in the kitchen, which serves new options every day, like kale Caesar salads, a ramen bar, fruit smoothies, avocado toast, and even churro waffles. The pizza station is a big favorite with employees.
Our next stop was Twitter's enormous cafeteria, where employees can eat breakfast and lunch for free. It's run by Twitter's in-house chef Mark Gandara, who previously worked as the chef de cuisine at Red Rooster, a popular, southern-style eatery in New York City.
Another eye-catching piece of art is Twitter's #LoveWhereYouWork sign. The neon artwork originated in the company's London office, but has since become a fixture in Twitter's offices around the world.
After heading back upstairs, we passed by Twitter's "Wall for a Cause" mural, which features ever-changing artistic representations of social causes. This particular wall — by artist Debra Cartwright — is dedicated to Twitter movements by people of color, including #BlackLivesMatter.
There are also a few conference rooms in the basement, with names inspired by NYC geography.
Employees also make a trip to the basement to take books from the office's library — as long as they leave one of their own, in return. Nola Weinstein, Twitter's head of social and experiential marketing, said the library is a treasure trove for bibliophiles. Visiting authors will often leave several copies of their latest works behind for employees to peruse.
There are also a bright red phone booths for private phone calls and some comfy seats for anyone looking to chill down here.
... or they can blast their own Spotify selections here.
Patrons can listen to some of the classic records we found over by the straws and sugar packets ...
Coffee isn't the only drink available in this office. There's also beer on tap.
The coffee bar also comes with a Ripple Maker, which "prints" designs on your beverage. You can sip on words, emojis, Twitter logos, pictures of yourself, and even an image of CEO Jack Dorsey's face. We swiped through the options and decided to make a coffee concoction emblazoned with Twitter's "compose" symbol.
Any Twitter employee can grab their beverage of choice for $2.50 down here.
"Whenever I need a caffeine boost, I stroll down to the café and ask the barista to make the 'TJ special,'" TJ Adeshola, Twitter's head of US sports league partnerships, told us after the tour. "In fairness, I'm pretty sure the 'TJ special' is just a regular latte, but the barista plays along every time. It makes me feel special."
The room has an old-fashioned, Art-Deco vibe, and is a hot spot for employees looking for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Next up, we headed downstairs to the private, speakeasy-style café in the basement for employees.
... and some potted plants straight out of the Jurassic period.
... a touch screen that we used to check Twitter ...
Our first stop was the lobby, which has a coffee bar ...
We swung by Twitter's Manhattan hub on a sunny May morning. The company's signature bird logo greeted us in front of the building — which is really two early-20th-century warehouses stuck together.
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