Inside Yelp’s Creative Office

Yelp is one of the latest tech firms to enter Chicago with some innovative new office space, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the JC Anderson team. That's why we're excited to have VP Bill Burfeind at Bisnow’s Chicago Creative Office Summit on Jan. 28 at Willis Tower, starting at 7am.

Yelp's 50k SF in the Merchandise Mart will house upwards of 375 people, Bill (just back from taking the kids to Disney, above) tells us. Completed in just 11 weeks, the fast-track Yelp Chicago office welcomed 50 employees on Jan. 5 and will be up to 300 by the end of Q1, he says. The high-design space was built in partnership with CBRE and Valerio Dewalt Train.

It's also ultra-collaborative with conference rooms, huddle spaces, a café, training room, full catering kitchen and kegerator, he tells us. Departments from sales to finance are in open office/benching environments (pictured) with cutting-edge AV and data technology. The most fun part: A steel “L” car wraps around the HR department. Bill expects this “interiors market on steroids” to continue across all sectors, especially as 4M SF of Class-A office space hits the market in ’17 and anchor tenants trade buildings (creating opportunities for smaller firms within their old spaces).

Bill’s even seeing similarities in the ‘burbs, where tenants are reconfiguring and opening up spaces to increase density and efficiency. Companies have been holding on tight to their capital, but now that the market’s recovered they’re moving on space they needed yesterday. “Everyone’s transforming to collaborative environments and looking at efficiencies,” Bill says. “There’s always schedule pressure and pressure to deliver.” That market-wide ramp-up makes labor and material availability a real challenge, he adds. To hear more, please join us for Bisnow’s Chicago Creative Office Summit on Jan. 28 at Willis Tower, starting at 7am. Sign up here!