Swank. (via Mashable.com)

Hey, have you guys heard about this tech talent crunch? Google has, and Mashable reports that lest they lose access to the cream of the crop, the company is swanking up its New York City outpost.

New amenities include a renovated cafeteria featuring "a lounge area and softer seating for employees to hold meetings and relax during lunch," plus extended hours. Now employees will never, ever need to leave. Ever.

Also, they get visits from celebrity chefs like Mario Batali. Local authors stop by to chat as well, but none were named. Dare we visualize Paul Auster holding forth in that cafeteria?

A company rep said they're just bringing the facilities in line with their West Coast mothership:

“We have been able to grow quickly and continue to do so — we are still hiring and expanding,” Google spokesperson Jordan Newman told Mashable. “As we ramp up, our office in New York is increasingly a microcosm of our headquarters in Mountain View.”

She added that, “There is a lot of New York pride in the office.”

Hey, the GOOG can't have its East Coast employees feeling like they're missing out on those legendary Googleplex perks.