Looking for a dose of festive cheer this holiday season?
You can find it in an unexpected corner of Seattle, where the tech spirit lingers.
The former headquarters of PayScale, the compensation data company that once housed the historic Palmer Building in SoDo, has been completely transformed into a winter wonderland that includes a family-friendly daytime experience. Kringle’s Inventionium and evenings for adults only Elf bar pop up
It’s an unusual transformation of a fancy high-tech office space, recognized as one of the geekiest office spaces in the region at the 2017 GeekWire Awards. But time moves on, and so has Payscale.
The 22-year-old software company — which was valued at $325 million after a private equity infusion in 2019 — moved its headquarters to Boston in March. Puget Sound Business Journal News reports earlier this week.
Now, where software geeks once wrote code and executives debated corporate strategy, elves and Santa reign.
This is the magical dream of the founders of LIT Immersive Jason Dileo And Jane MatthewsTwo theater geeks with a flair for immersive experiences. They took control of a portion of the former PayScale space about 18 months ago and have since developed a wide range of themed experiences across the 18,000 square foot space directly west of Lumen Field.
The transformation from corporate office to immersive playground was made possible by the fact that the tech company virtually abandoned the space, leaving most of the infrastructure — not to mention TVs, power cords and other gear — intact.
“Almost everything is still here from (Pascale),” DeLeo said. “The microwaves are still the microwaves they used. Their dishwashers. They had a kegerator, we have kegerators … it’s all here.”
This allowed DeLeo and Matthews to save tens of thousands of dollars on building space. The former PayScale sports bar — a highlight of the former office space — was easily restored (which DeLeo and Matthews happily opened on game days for Seahawks and Mariners fans). The second floor break rooms are now used as green rooms for actors performing in various shows.
“We knew PayScale was here, and that’s what got us into the space because it was completely networked,” DeLeo said.
The Elf Bar concept was also a stroke of luck. DeLeo and Matthews were already developing a holiday-themed cocktail bar concept called Elf’d Up this year, when they were approached with a licensing deal from the makers of Elf Bar. Pop-up holiday-themed cocktail bars started gaining momentum about a decade ago, with companies like miraculous Now operating in dozens of locations internationally, including four locations in Washington state.
In addition to festive cocktails, Elf Bar offers a number of activities for the 21+ crowd: holiday-themed trivia; Karaoke Lounge; a snowball fight club; And reservations are available for game three evening slots, and tickets range from $15.50 to $18.50. The Elf Bar will remain open until Dec. 21, though DeLeo said they may extend the pop-up based on demand.
Daytime, kid-friendly Kringle’s Inventionium — inspired by a long-running show in Cleveland, Ohio — has been a hit with families and school groups. Costs for that experience range from $24 to $63 per guest, with daytime shows running through December 24.
Next for DeLeo and Matthews? With the FIFA World Cup coming to Seattle next summer — with six matches across the street at Lumen Field — they’re already planning for the next immersive experience or ways to rent the venue to a team, corporate sponsor or broadcaster.
DiLeo said they are “praying” that Seattle gets some big-name teams during the World Cup draw today. May their holiday wish come true, the U.S. Men’s National Team will play Australia — known as the “Socceros” — on Friday, June 19 at Lumen Field.