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"When thinking of model places for workplace perks, the successful startups of Silicon Valley undoubtedly come to mind. And while heavy-hitters such as Google and Facebook are famous for their jaw-dropping employee amenities, up-and-coming mid-level companies are also getting in on the act. \nMashable took a tour of Zynga, a wildly popular distributor of some of the most played social and mobile games. When it comes to perks, the father of FarmVille doesn't skimp. In fact, Zynga's office is so loaded with perks and amenities, it would make working from home a bore. \nGood Food\nIt's not uncommon for tech companies in Silicon Valley and San Francisco to offer its employees catered lunches, but Zynga takes it further with meals cooked on-site by professional chefs. Each floor has a fully-stocked and themed kitchen, including a candy kitchen and a healthy \"zen\" kitchen. \nEverything is prepared on-site \u2014 there's even a pizza oven \u2014 and made with locally sourced ingredients. The company's executive chef is Matthew DuTrumble, who was the youngest chef instructor at the California Culinary Academy and also had a show on the Food Network, Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. Want to eat some meat for lunch? The on-site butcher will take care of that in his two-floor kitchen. \nIf you're more interested in keeping a good diet, there are always healthy options, including a fully loaded salad bar and freshly brewed Kombucha. The healthy options are an important perk, considering desk jobs are notorious for helping people pack on pounds. \nGood Fun\nIn the basement, there is a lounge area packed with big screen TVs, a curved wood bar area and free beer on tap. If you'd rather unwind with a workout than an ice-cold beer, you can hit up the Zynga gym. Employees can take CrossFit classes, meet with a nutritionist or schedule a free massage.\nAnd if you want to work and play with your canine friend, he's more than welcome \u2014 every day is bring your dog to work day at Zynga. After all, the company is named after the CEO Mark Pincus' late dog, Zinga.\nWork Hard, Play Hard\nZynga provides hotel-like amenities to keep employees happy and retain (and attract) talent. Tech companies in particular are notorious for providing awesome on-site perks to encourage employees stay at work longer and up their productivity. Facebook offers employees a free shuttle to work, plus numerous \"micro-kitchens\" stocked with snacks, and a free cafeteria where employees are welcome to invite family members for lunch. Google has a golf course, basketball courts and nap pods for a mid-day snooze. \nZynga churned out six games in the first quarter of 2012, so the team is definitely working hard. Despite the long hours, the employees' access to a spacious top-of-the-line gym, a team of chefs and all the free beer you can drink makes for quite the hook-up. \nAll the perks in the startup world make sense \u2014 several Gallup studies have shown a correlation between productivity and worker happiness, and Gallup estimates that organizations whose employees are not happy and engaged lose out on billions of dollars in potential revenue. \nCheck out the gallery of pics below to see some of the cool stuff they get to do at Zynga.\n\n\nWhy Zynga's Company Culture Rocks\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nThis staircase leads to the lounge area and the gym. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nUpon entering Zynga you'll see this Old West-style theme. Have a seat in the adjacent mod-style lounge area and help yourself to Jolly Ranchers, Falafel Chips and bottled water. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nThe gym is spacious and equipped with new machines. Employees can take workout classes, schedule massages or see a nutritionist. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nThe band Train performed for Zynga's concert series held in small venues for employees. Here, frontman Pat Monahan checks out Zynga's entryway tunnel.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nA team of chefs prepare all meals on-site with local ingredients. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nThe downstairs cafeteria looks up at the open floor plan. Zynga employees can bring their dogs to lunch and leave them in the \"barking lot\" -- a patch of faux grass with dog food and water. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nZynga's love of dogs can also be seen in this tribute to employees' dogs, with the company's namesake, Zinga, in the middle. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nZynga's employees must play games at work when a new game is in beta-test. Here, employees gather for an after-work Scramble tournament, while enjoying a pizza dinner and draft beer. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWork Life at Zynga\nZynga recently purchased the building next door to accommodate more employees. The Zynga culture has already crept over there -- the new building already offers games such as skeeball and a Kombucha tea bar. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat do you think about this company? Would you work here? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments. \nMore Small Business Resources From OPEN Forum:\n- Should Small Businesses Follow Everyone Back on Twitter?- Are You Falling into the Pricing Trap?- How to Take Your PR Pitches to the Next Level"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/05/20/zynga-office-perks/>