Covid-19 has taken staff out of the office and introduced a “work from home” culture in many companies. This may have benefits in terms of saving lengthy commutes and downsizing of office space, but it also introduces a negative in that staff don’t socialise around the office coffee machine as much. Good managers know that it is in the casual office conversations that new ideas emerge, and teams build rapport.
So how do managers marry the benefits of “work from home” without losing the interactivity? Many companies do this by rotating staff through the office on certain days of the week. This allows interaction without crowding and also gives managers the option of reducing work-space rentals.
The reduced daily staff head count that has resulted from such approaches has had negative consequences for nearby cafes who were used to supplying food and beverages over tea and lunch times, and more so for those located in the lobby areas of large corporates. It is tough for them to survive on a rostered staff approach and sadly, many have closed.
The solution chosen by some facility managers has been to place snack and can vending machines and coffee vending machines in these communal areas. There are five key benefits for doing so:
- Office coffee machines can offer on-demand coffee when needed and are not reliant on a barista to make coffee. So as staff come and go, the machine waits patiently to make coffee when required.
- No matter how many staff are on site, the coffee machine can provide them with coffee in a fast and economical manner. The cost of a coffee is far less than that produced by a barista because the machine is making the coffee and is ready to do so 24/7 which saves labour costs.
- The quality of the coffee from modern coffee machines rivals that of a barista made coffee. Espresso shots can be tweaked for perfection and milk foaming is now comparable to barista steamed milk. Powdered milk formulations are so advanced these days that you’d struggle to tell the difference between fresh and powdered milk.
- A coffee machine brings staff to a central point to get their coffee and this allows interaction and conversation.
- Locating a coffee machine on site provides convenience and limits the loss of staff from site as they go out to find coffee somewhere in the neighbourhood.
- Coffee remains a primary “pick-me-up” in offices, especially first thing in the morning and during the after-lunch period when tiredness can reduce work efficiency.
So even though Covid-19 has changed the office landscape, coffee is still a necessity, and in many companies, outside of bringing your own coffee beans or filter coffee to the office, there may be very few options for ensuring great tasting coffee is available on site.
Most office coffee service provides offer both sale and rental options for coffee machines or coffee vending.
However, even the more affordable monthly coffee machine rental models may still have financial managers thinking about the cost involved and so companies can also choose to install payment mechanisms like credit/debit card readers, subsidise the cost of each cup, or even cover the costs completely.
There are a range of options available, and we can advise you what each will require. Take a look at our “How to Choose An Office Coffee Machine” article to help narrow down your options.
Why not put a coffee machine like the Mythos Duo pictured here into your office? Contact The Famous Brands Coffee Company for a no-obligation discussion around a coffee machine rental or purchase … and a free quote.