If you are starting to notice that people are less than enthusiastic about the office coffee station, spending less time in the break room or just generally “meh” about the refreshments available, it might be time to reinvent your office coffee game. Today, the team of coffee gurus here at Corporate Essentials has eight killer concepts you can use to breathe fresh life into your break room.
1. Pick a theme
One of the easiest ways to generate new-found interest in your office coffee station is to spruce it up with fresh décor. Choose a different theme for each of your break areas, whether by simply picking accessories that are different colors for each area, or by doing something more involved. Creating break room themes can be a great opportunity to involve staff in their office coffee experience.
2. Send invitations
Another great way to draw your colleagues into the break room is to invite the whole team to take part in samplings and tasting events throughout the year. Rather than changing your office coffee menu on the fly, schedule seasonal changes and throw a little shindig in the break room showcasing the new office coffee station flavors.
3. Ask for input
Inviting your colleagues into the break room is a huge step toward engaging them in your new office coffee culture, but actually asking them to help you make product selections can be an even better way to get your team involved.
Keep a suggestion box in the area of your office coffee station or use a survey via your intranet or regular meetings – whichever way you choose to poll the people in your building, the most important part is ensuring they know their suggestions are actively reviewed.
4. Keep things fresh
Engagement, an inviting atmosphere and a cleverly themed space are great – but without fresh, flavorful office coffee you are never going to inspire your teams to get the most from the office coffee culture you create.
So keep the menu fresh by including new offerings regularly – and ensure your coffee products are at the peak of freshness by working with your office coffee service to build a solid delivery schedule.
5. Be functional
Out-of-date equipment, temperamental coffee pots and an absence of needed equipment (like a coffee grinder) contribute to the general notion that office coffee is less than great. Invest in a good relationship with your office coffee supplier that includes regular maintenance.
Also, consider the office coffee station space itself – a dark, uninviting room is not a functional break space for anyone. Add a little light, a dash of color and a focal point other than the office coffee maker. These are little things, but can make a world of difference to the office coffee experience.
6. Educate for better brewing
Having state of the art office coffee equipment can be a huge draw for certain employees – but if the rest of the crowd has no idea what to do with all those buttons and flashing lights, no one will be able to truly enjoy the office coffee station.
Have mini clinics where experts can show off their caffeination prowess, or invite your office coffee service expert in to show small groups of key employees how that new-fangled office coffee maker works.
7. Accessorize for awesomeness
A successful office coffee setup needs more than top-quality coffee products and fresh snacks, it needs all those little extra things that help your coffee dreams come true: sugars, creamer, cups, napkins and those little stirry things.
Additionally, add items of interest to your break room – industry-related magazines, trend-focused publications and even the occasional book of MadLibs can do wonders for encouraging people to talk to one another in a fresh setting, away from the worries of their desktop.
8. Be an office coffee evangelist
This might sound crazy, and perhaps like something that is neither part of your job nor personality, but bear with us. The best way to cultivate interest and enthusiasm for something is to show interest and enthusiasm in that thing, office coffee is no exception.
So talk it up, encourage others to try new things and dare to be the one who encourages the guys who work in IT to come out of their cave and compete in your office’s first Brewfest competition.
Hopefully you have found something here today that will help elevate your office coffee station, creating the sort of interactive, engaging space that your office culture needs to thrive.
Should you require assistance in finding the best office coffee equipment and products for your needs, reach out and contact our team of experts. Corporate Essentials has almost two decades of experience in providing the best solutions to common office coffee conundrums.
