22 Jul Update Your Breakroom Coffee Service
Office coffee service (OCS) is about more than just offering coffee and tea in your breakroom. It’s also about creating a welcoming atmosphere that encourages employees to stay on-site when they would otherwise leave to grab a coffee or take a break. A cool breakroom offers employees and guests the coffee house experience with spaces to have spontaneous conversations, relax and recharge while enjoying a variety of popular beverages.
Two important factors to consider when designing an OCS are the types of coffee or espresso-based beverages to offer and the source and roasting process of the coffee beans.
Many consumers are concerned about social and environmental issues and want transparency when it comes to where the beans come from and how they were grown and roasted. As a result, a growing segment of organizations and farmers use sustainable farming and fair-trade practices.
To meet the needs of your employees and guests, an OCS menu should include a variety of beverages including traditional coffee; espresso-based specialty drinks like cappuccino, latte, caffè Americano and caffè mocha; and relative newcomers cold brew and nitro cold brew.
With the increase in demand for unique beverages that are sustainably sourced, Lavazza, a well-known Italian coffee company, has taken the first step and launched the first cold brew coffee made from ¡TIERRA! Colombia, a blend of sustainably sourced, 100 percent washed Arabica coffee beans. According to Lavazza, both traditional and nitro cold brew options will be available and will offer flavor profiles that are meant to be enjoyed without added sweeteners or creamers.
Cold brew coffee is a relatively new beverage option in the United States. It was initially available only in cafés but has made its way to breakrooms. Meant to be enjoyed without any additions, cold brew is brewed to have smoother and less acidic taste. While each coffee brewer has their own way of creating cold brew coffee, cold brew is, in general, made from coffee grounds steeped in room-temperature or cold water for at least 12 hours.
Nitro cold brew coffee takes traditional cold brew one step further by adding nitrogen to create a creamy and smooth beverage. Nitrogen has smaller bubbles than carbon dioxide, which is used in most carbonated beverages, and creates a different texture or “thicker mouthfeel” to the beverage. The nitrogen also impacts how quickly the caffeine is absorbed. Some cold brew drinkers experience a faster energy boost from the caffeine.
Whether your employees and guests prefer traditional coffee, espresso-based beverages or cold brew, it is important to take the time to learn which beverages they prefer. It really does matter.
If you’d like some ideas for improving your office coffee service or would like to have your breakroom featured on Cool Breakrooms, call (800) 795-6799 today!