Every office deserves a good coffee machine

According to the 2017 Leesman Index, 82% of respondents said that tea, coffee and refreshment facilities were a highly important factor in their physical environment. So, with staff placing such a high importance on this modern commodity, it’s time to sit back and enjoy a sip of your favourite coffee as we go through the reasons why having an in-house Central Perk would be beneficial to your office.

1. Reward quality with quality

If you expect your employees to produce quality work, reward them with a quality brew. Nothing is worse than hearing the complaint of bad coffee, and especially having to endure a bitter blend when you’re putting extra hours in the office. Investing in good coffee can demonstrate to your employees that you appreciate excellence in the workplace – both through work and choice of bean!

2. Make first impressions count

In a recent workplace survey, 62% of respondents felt that a coffee bar is the most welcoming office reception. Offering your clients a choice of a flat white or latte on arrival, instead of a spoonful of Nescafe, can help add that extra pizzazz to your pitch or meeting. After all, you don’t want bad coffee to be the main thing they remember! Unsurprisingly, the reception at Costa's office features a barista coffee machine - providing a very inviting (and energetic) welcome to their HQ!

If coffee isn’t your chosen beverage, you could opt for something juicer. We replaced the reception at Nuffield Health with a fresh juice bar, offering a world of nutritional benefits!

3. It keeps you healthy

Many joke that coffee can be an addiction, but at least it’s a healthy one! Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages², and is also jam-packed with antioxidants and nutrients that can boost your employees’ health and wellbeing. It can also help to lessen the risk of medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, certain cancers or diabetes³. The caffeine in coffee also helps to reduce headaches, which may mean less stressed employees pulling out their hair in the workplace!

4. You’ll save time (and money!)

Staff could spend hours throughout the year leaving the office and walking a few blocks to the local coffee house. With a good quality coffee in the office, there’s no need to face the elements and walk through the rain (and cold – this is the UK after all) to get your daily fix. Instead, you can stay in the warmth of your office all along.

5. Boost your mood

Maybe we aren’t all aiming for gold medals like Usain Bolt on the running track but drinking coffee can help boost employees overall performance in the workplace. Coffee consists of a strong stimulant, caffeine, which can help fight off sluggishness, heighten mental alertness and endurance. It’s no wonder it’s the most popular psychoactive substance in the world.

Our brains change rhythm throughout the day, partly due to the production of adenosine⁴, which is responsible for sleepiness and causes the brain to slow down. This explains the common afternoon sleepiness that so many of us experience! Coffee can actually block the production of adenosine, which heightens other neurotransmitters and can improve various aspects of brain function⁵, including mood, memory and energy levels. So, coffee can act as the secret weapon, keeping employees focused on their next gold medal office performance.

6. Brew a social scene

Joining or inviting co-workers for a brew can be the perfect excuse for catching up in a relaxed manner and socialising within the office’s four walls. It allows you to communicate face-to-face with colleagues and move around the office, instead of hiding behind a screen and keyboard.

In the office design for MotoNovo, we designed their breakout area to replicate a café-style environment for their employees to encourage a relaxed atmosphere whilst taking a short break from the desk. The social aspect of workplace breakout areas is becoming so commonplace that some are blurring the lines between workplace and community hub. Networking over a hot cup of java not only provides a positive effect on workplace relations, but may also increase the chances of a collaborative lightbulb moment, leading to the next big thing.

7. Reduces desk pain

Caffeine can be a great pain relief enhancer. It can help reduce inflammation in muscle joints and help aid headache remedies. Studies by the National Institute of Health⁷ have shown that drinking coffee can actually help reduce pain related to desk work in your neck, shoulders, forearms and wrists!

So, whose round is it next?