The countdown has begun for Bumble Bee Foods, which will move into the historic Showley Brothers Candy Factory building in East Village at Petco Park next month. The move marks a significant investment in the company’s culture as Bumble Bee Foods – which has for years been based in Kearny Mesa in a traditional suburban complex – will now be in the heart of downtown San Diego, surrounded by all that the East Village has to offer.

The 30,000 square foot red brick building, which sat unused for nearly a decade, is the epitome of cool. With exposed brick, wooden beams, support columns, and arched trusses, Bumble Bee’s new office space boasts naturally what so many other companies are trying to create synthetically within their own spaces. In fact, the Hughes Marino office on Front Street was designed to emulate many of the elements of this historic building.

The move is indicative of Bumble Bee’s commitment to investing in its company culture. And I have to say the company is doing it right. They have invested in a lifestyle upgrade for their people, who will be surrounded by coffee bars, restaurants, and other amenities that their suburban location couldn’t provide. As an added bonus, the building features roll-up garage doors opening off of the break room, allowing Bumble Bee’s employees to enjoy access to an outdoor lunch break in the Park at the Park.

The interior of the building will mark a significant shift to a far more collaborative office plan for Bumble Bee. Their new space provides a smart blend of open space, coupled with individual workspaces. Eight-foot-high furniture panel walls have been used to create private offices and breakout areas for meetings, which are balanced by open collaborative areas.

Like so many other forward-thinking businesses that are moving downtown, CEO Chris Lischewski made the decision to move in order to foster an even more vibrant company culture in the heart of San Diego. When Jason Hughes and John Jarvis, who represented Bumble Bee in leasing the building, presented Lischewski with the idea of moving there, it was an opportunity the company just wasn’t willing to pass up. Who could blame them?

Bumble Bee’s new downtown office will open its doors on March 28. Stay tuned for photos of the finished space.