Apple Building New Cafeteria in Cupertino to Enhance Security for Satellite Campus Workers

The San Jose Mercury News reports (via The Next Web) that Apple has received approval from the City of Cupertino to build a new 21,500 square foot cafeteria several blocks away from its main headquarters. The facility is being planned to primarily support workers from Apple's satellite buildings in the immediate vicinity, giving them a private location to eat and conduct business without needing to worry about competitors overhearing their conversations.

"We like to provide a level of security so that people and employees can feel comfortable talking about their business, their research and whatever project they're engineering without fear of competition sort of overhearing their conversations," Dan Whisenhunt, Apple's director of real estate facilities, said at Tuesday's meeting. "That is a real issue today in Cupertino because we've got other companies here in our same business."

The facility will offer a full cafeteria, as well as private meeting rooms, lounge areas, courtyard space, and a 70-space parking garage underneath the cafe. Whisenhunt notes that Apple is also in the process of developing plans to add a private cafeteria at its Results Way campus leased last July to support further expansion while the company moves forward to build its major new headquarters on the former HP campus in Cupertino.

apple bandley cafeteria
Apple is genuinely concerned about its employees divulging secret information while socializing at outside restaurants, with Adam Lashinsky noting in his recent book Inside Apple that "company lore" suggests employees have been fired after undercover Apple security officers at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse across a parking lot from Apple's main campus overheard them sharing sensitive information in the open.

The company has of course also experienced the loss of several iPhone prototypes in outside establishments, with an iPhone 4 having disappeared in a Mountain View bar in 2010 and eventually turning up in Gizmodo's hands while an iPhone 4S apparently went missing from a San Francisco bar last year and has not been found. While Apple certainly can't prevent its employees from patronizing outside establishments, the use of privately-controlled cafes can help minimize information leaks in situations where employees are most likely to be talking with each other about their work.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone Like 'Two Titanium iPhone Airs' Joined at the Hinge

Monday September 22, 2025 2:16 am PDT by
Next year's rumored foldable iPhone will showcase an ultra-thin design resembling "two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple's first foldable device will be "super thin and a design achievement," combining Apple's thinnest iPhone form factor with cutting-edge folding...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

Some iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Users Experiencing Intermittent Wi-Fi Issue

Monday September 22, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple's latest iPhone models launched on Friday, and some early adopters of the devices are experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi issues. Affected customers say Wi-Fi connectivity periodically cuts out on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with hundreds of comments about the issue posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community over the...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...

Top Rated Comments

JAQ Avatar
175 months ago
Perhaps Apple could also set up its own bars, nightclubs, coffee shops, groceries, etc, so their employees won't have to socialize in public at all. :)
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HarryKeogh Avatar
175 months ago
More like Apple is worried about losing more phones in bars.

It's too bad, really, I liked those stories :(

I lost my beer in an Apple store. It was all over Schlitzmodo.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
175 months ago
Next will be inCampus living facilities, so they would never have to leave Campus.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Vertigo50 Avatar
175 months ago
I doubt Apple employees are as productive as everyone thinks they are. Isn't there some statistic that on average 38% of the workday is wasted by employees. Do Apple employees really need these restaurants and perks, on top of their already comfy salaries? How many people work at this company? How many people does it take to get a simple task done? How many product launches do we get a year?

So let me guess, if it was your company, YOU would want a nice cafeteria AND a comfy salary, but when it's someone else, they don't deserve it.

Envious much?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bsolar Avatar
175 months ago
I doubt Apple employees are as productive as everyone thinks they are. Isn't there some statistic that on average 38% of the workday is wasted by employees. Do Apple employees really need these restaurants and perks, on top of their already comfy salaries?

A cafeteria is not only a place where you waste time. First of all you can relax and be a lot more productive when you go back to work. On top of that it can be an excellent place to discuss new ideas in a less formal way (which can stimulate creativity).
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
175 months ago
Good idea - I'd want people in projects to discuss over their food. From experience, it's when a lot of good ideas come about - when you're being fed and relaxed.

Having a cafe dedicated to being able to openly discuss your project among peers will be beneficial.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)