Coffee in the workplace is a long-standing amenity offered throughout greater Chicagoland. That office breakroom staple was almost shattered during the pandemic, but as workers slowly migrate back to the office, it has become more important than ever.
Coffee has fueled people’s mornings since the early 15th century. Coffee in the workplace can be traced to a company called Barcolo Manufacturing located in Buffalo, New York that in 1902 saw coffee as an opportunity to offer their employees a special benefit. The company provided the coffee for free and offered their employees two coffee breaks a day. The company thought that if they offered their staff a quick break to relax with a caffeinated cup of coffee, productivity would improve.
A quick stroll through any warehouse, factory or office in Chicago and you are sure to find a breakroom offering hot cups of joe. Historically, this coffee has been brewed in the traditional manner of brewing grounds through a filter into a pot that sits on a warming plate. In the last couple of decades, coffee options have expanded and allowed employees to brew individual cups of whatever roast they prefer, most notably through Keurig machines.
Like many things in society, the notion of office coffee service in Chicago was incredibly disrupted at the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020. Employees simply were not in the workplace in the same numbers, and those that were practiced a variety of safety measures that discouraged the communal use of coffee equipment.
As the pandemic slowly subsided, and societal norms began returning, office coffee service did not rebound in the same manner. Workplaces in Chicago were perhaps forever changed with the notion that employees did not have to be in the office full time to get their work completed. Rather, many employers found that staff could simply work from home or work a hybrid schedule that only saw them in the office part time.
As companies in Chicago continue to navigate the new norms of the workplace, many feel they need to have their employees back in the office for the greater good of the organization. However, as their staff have become accustomed to working from home, they are struggling to entice them back to the office.
One amenity that employers are offering in their offices in Chicago to help bring back their workforce is excellent coffee options. For many offices, the traditional manner of offering a pot of coffee in the breakroom simply doesn’t suffice. Instead, many Chicago offices are looking for office coffee service that allows their employees to truly indulge in great coffee options including espressos, cappuccinos, mochas, etc.
As an exclusive partner with LavAzza Coffee of Italy, Premier Vending provides Chicago workplaces with the finest office coffee service offerings. Through our LavAzza Flavia Brewers, Chicago offices can offer their employees single serve options of the finest beans from Starbucks, Peet’s, LavAzza and many others. Additionally, our Flavia brewers allow Chicago offices to offer specialty drinks, teas and cold brews.