Reimagining the breakroom

The breakroom is definitely not immune from the Covid pandemic. Pun intended? Too soon?

As people left the office, there was an open question of whether or not our breakrooms would ever be relevant again. Some recent research by the JM Smucker company found that the breakroom isn’t going away, but it is changing. As people come back to the office, they may want something different from their breakroom.

They want to be healthy

Employees are concerned with health and wellness, but it goes beyond simply wanting to know the breakroom is clean and making sure cleaning and sanitation products are readily available. Many employees who worked from home for a period of time got accustomed to snacking regularly. Contrary to the narrative of everyone gaining weight during quarantine, many employees were choosing healthy snacks, because that’s what they keep in their homes. They would like to continue to have healthy snacks available as they return to the office. “Healthier choice” options are becoming increasingly popular, like individual packets of oatmeal, protein bars, and fresh fruit.

They want a connection

Speaking of transitioning back to the office, many employees are currently splitting time between working from home and working from their office. When employees go to the office, they are often doing it partly to make a social connection. Going to the office is an experience that these employees actually crave right now, so why not enhance that employee experience? For example, employees want to enjoy a premium coffee product while catching up with a colleague that they haven’t seen face-to-face in months.

They want their own thing

Finally, and most obviously, employees are concerned about spreading germs. So anything you can do in your breakroom to offer single-use, single-touch, individual solutions will be appreciated by your team. Single cup coffee (like pods or K-Cups) is an exceptionally good choice right now for that reason. Also, with fewer people in the office, if you’re brewing an entire 12-cup pot of coffee, it’s likely that a lot of the product in each pot is going to waste. Dispensing systems for forks, spoons, and knives are also currently a popular individual-use item in breakrooms.

With fewer people in the office full time, this could be the perfect time to reimagine what you’re offering in the breakroom. You might be surprised to find that you can offer more premium products now because there are fewer employees using what is offered. This upgrade to your offering can ultimately lead to increased employee satisfaction, improved employee engagement, and a feeling of much greater comfort with the idea of returning to the office full time.

We’re ready to talk to you about how you can make positive changes in your breakroom. If you have questions, call your account team or fill out our Coffee Service Request form.