Suburban companies battle tech giants for talent. Downtown office spaces are their secret weapon.

CHICAGO - In the quest for digital talent, Chicago-area companies battle the technology giants.

To lure data scientists and other tech workers, companies in industries from fast food to insurance have opened outposts in the heart of the city, where tech employees want to work. Having hip, downtown spaces has proved worth the extra cost to suburban companies, even as rents have increased.

The office spaces - often full of free snacks and tricked-out common areas and devoid of seating assignments - have become a key tool for recruiting the talent it takes to transform companies across industries into tech-focused operations. They also have been a valuable litmus test, as several area companies now are doubling down on their presence in the city.

McDonald's Corp. recently shuttered the