Coffee Services: Your Questions, Answered

A: Coffee services are a catch-all term for services that deliver coffee directly to employees of a business. Often this coffee is provided free of charge or at a low cost to these employees by their company. Companies share basic information about their offices and their coffee service preferences on a website or app. Preferences include deciding on specific coffee brands, the number of beverage stations to be set up within the office, and equipment options. In turn, the coffee companies create a customized service based on these preferences and provide a quote. Afterwards, the office and coffee companies decide on a regular delivery schedule, whether it is multiple times a week or only a couple times a month. Each order consists of delivery, stock for office coffee supplies, and regular equipment maintenance. Offices of all sizes can be accommodated.

A: In September of 2015, Starbucks added the option for customers to order ahead on the app and pick up their orders in-store without having to wait. The next month, they began a project that brought coffee and other items on their menu to employees of the Empire State Building through an in-house service called Starbucks Green Apron Delivery, which brought Starbucks straight to offices. Since then, other coffee services have followed suit and started bringing coffee directly to their customers in their workplace.

A: When deciding where to work, many people look for workplace perks, from state of the art technology to flexible scheduling to quality coffee. Unsurprisingly, office coffee services have been shown to rank quite high on the list of workplace demands. Studies have found that despite the hectic morning commutes as well as rising coffee prices, people will still choose to stop and buy coffee than share the communal office pot. Moreover, in a culture so heavily focused on efficiency and productivity, there is little time for the traditional breakfast at home anymore. Our fast-paced lives ultimately revolve around convenience, which has led to a great demand for coffee delivery services. Busy employees can enjoy the comfort of having a coffee station within their own office building where they have constant access to freshly roasted coffee and snacks.

A: It depends on the office’s needs. One company may need a designated customer service representative who knows the needs of the employees and can restock the office break rooms accordingly. Other companies might manage their deliveries online to better fit their potentially changing needs if necessary. Coffee service companies will alert customers about their upcoming shipments and allow them to adjust order quantities to meet their needs.

A: Not only can you decide what coffee to bring to your office, but you also decide what form of coffee dispensing best fits your workplace. There are currently four main types of coffee services available: coffee vending machines, electric coffee makers, “frac packs”, and onsite espresso bars.