A recent study showed that 64% of millennial workers consider benefits as a key factor in employer loyalty. As businesses compete to land top talent, office perks are becoming the new battleground. Trends show that companies are increasing spending on items like break room design, snacks and beverages to satisfy the sophisticated demands of a new generation of workers. The average employer is now spending $3-8 on each employee for snacks and beverages everyday.
Gone are the days of simple break rooms with generic furniture, a coffee pot and old refrigerator. Employees view these community areas as a reflection of the company culture and as a gauge for how much they value their staff.
A generation that grew up on Starbucks and organic snacks are not settling for Folgers and a big container of pretzels. They want cold brew coffee, kombucha, organic trail mix and designer candy. The modern office break room needs to be functional but also comfortable, fun and an extension of the company’s branding.
If your company is behind the times on office break room culture, here are five modern break room design ideas to get you started:
1. A CANDY WALL
Twitter used Rosseto wall-mounted candy dispensers for a pop-up candy shop for employees.
Breathe life into your break room with a colorful candy display with wall-mounted dispensers. A vibrant candy wall is an incredibly fun way to modernize your break room. They are easy to install and can work with any size space. All you need is an empty wall, candy dispensers and bulk candy to transform your break room by the end of the day! Coordinate the candy colors with your branding and office décor for that extra attention to detail that will impress your employees and will reinforce your branding.
2. DIY Trail Mix Display
The snack revolution is in full swing. People are hyper-aware of ingredients and the adverse health effects of junk food. While some processed foods are immune because of their nostalgic qualities, most traditional snack foods are off the menu. What is in? Bulk nuts, granola, dried fruit and gluten-free options. Create a display with bulk snack dispensers that can easily be mounted to a shelf or a tabletop snack dispenser that you can place on a counter. Keep disposable cups near the display so employees can take their snacks to their desks. Without much effort, you just leveled up your break room game!
3. A Cereal Bar
“Like religion, politics, and family planning, cereal is not a topic to be brought up in public. It’s too controversial“. -Erma Bombeck
If America had a favorite food group, cereal would be it. The average American consumes about 10 pounds of cereal (160 bowls) a year. What better way to a millennial’s heart than through a cold bowl of the sweet stuff straight from their employee cereal bar? It sounds like a big project to pull off, but it is in fact, very easy. Depending on the space you are working with, choose either wall-mounted or tabletop cereal dispensers. Install and fill with a selection of all-time favorites (Fruity Pebbles!) as well as some healthy and gluten-free options. Make sure you always have both plant-based and regular milks available in the fridge. Now you are on track to becoming one of the best companies to work for this year!
4. Gaming Room
We all wanted one of these in our basement as a kid. Anyone who had a pinball machine or a foosball table at home became an instant celebrity. Studies depict that nothing has changed since the childhood days. The average American adults spend an average of 3 hours a day gaming, so we actually still want a gaming room. Let your people destress with their favorite pastime by setting up a gaming room that also encourages greater creativity and productivity. You can include consoles for PS4, Xbox or go traditional with a combination of an arcade machine, darts, foosball tables, air hockey and board games. We recommend soundproofing the area, adding good speakers and letting the good times begin.
5. Cold Press Coffee Bar
“We didn’t get a good night’s sleep. We’re a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup.” – Jerry Seinfeld.
There has to be a reason why Starbucks does so much business, right? As Americans, most of us count on coffee to get things done. Coffee puts us in a good mood, helps us think clearly, and gives us that much-needed energy boost to get through the day. Since it’s a coffee ‘bar’ you can have multiple options and flavors to get everyone caffeinated. This includes regular cold brew black coffee, white chocolate and fudge-flavored ice coffees and of course the unbeatable goodness of caramel coffee. Save your employees that early morning or midday coffee run, or give them the perfect pick-me-up for a stressful day by setting up a cold press coffee bar right in your office.
Are you ready to create beautiful yet functional break rooms that can encourage and empower your employees? We’ve got some fantastic break room decorating ideas for you, check out these break room candy and snack dispensers from Rosseto Serving Solutions.
