Snapchat is hunting around for office space in San Francisco

Snapchat may soon have a new recruiting pitch for Silicon Valley talent.

The media and messaging startup, which is well-known for its beachfront office sprawl in Venice Beach, Calif., is actively hunting for San Francisco office space, according to multiple sources. A Snapchat spokesperson declined to comment.

It’s unknown where or when Snapchat might plant a flag in SF, but it’s easy to understand why it is looking. Snapchat recruits from many of the tech companies headquartered in the Bay Area, and a San Francisco office would alleviate the need to ask talented tech people to relocate or commute to LA in order to join the startup.

It’s also growing quickly — Bloomberg reported Snapchat had 330 employees last May; it’s now over 700 — so a home base near Silicon Valley could help accommodate this expansion.

There’s little doubt that Snapchat will remain headquartered in Southern California regardless of whether or not it finds a San Francisco office. CEO Evan Spiegel grew up in the LA area, and those close to the company often talk about how part of Snapchat’s appeal is that it’s not in Silicon Valley. This, of course, is by design, so the fact that Spiegel is seriously considering a San Francisco office is interesting.

Snapchat already has offices in Seattle and New York and London.