The Office Party That Never Ends

(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- Plenty of companies talk about their "work hard, play hard" mentality, but few actually walk the walk like Chicago branding firm Bamboo Worldwide.

With all-day brainstorming sessions followed by late-night calls to overseas clients, founder Tracy Thirion worries about employee burnout. Hence Bamboo's airy, loftlike office, which features a fully stocked kitchen and bar where employees can nibble by day - and tipple by night.

Staffers feel so at home that many invite friends and business contacts over for cocktails; one even used it for a wedding. "Most places stock paper plates and plastic forks, but we have martini stirrers, olive plates, and alcohol," says Bamboo account manager Heidi Konzen, who's using the bar to host a big party for a friend. "It's an awesome bonus."