Ok, let’s admit it. Coffee is no longer simply a hot beverage intended to wake you up from your deep morning slumbers. Today, coffee is so much more! Deep-seated in our social and personal lives, this caffeine drink has built a culture of its own. From catching up with long-lost friends over coffee to meeting first dates at cutesy coffee shops, this beverage is at the crux of it all.
And that’s not where it ends. This magical drink has entered our professional workspaces too. Don’t believe us? Well, if you are an employee who happens to have ever worked from an office or a workplace, you’re most likely to have been part of an office coffee culture.
But, what is office coffee culture? In simple terms, an office coffee culture is the presence of a coffee machine in the office. These coffee machines/systems/dispensers are usually set up in break rooms - an area meant to relax and take short breaks from work. Now, you may be wondering how the mere installation of a coffee machine in the workplace can lead to the creation of a whole culture? Ah, you’re right - it does sound crazy. But, it’s true!
Gone are the days when the local chaiwala entered the office premises to serve coffee from his kettle to all employees at a fixed time in the day. Today, when most of us are accustomed to our espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos, the good old kettle coffee just doesn’t make the cut. Plus, installing a coffee vending machine enables everyone to get their convenient coffee fix any time they desire without having to step out of office premises at all. Now, isn’t that convenient!
A coffee machine in a place of work serves several benefits. First off, let’s state the obvious. With the increasing work hours and mounting stress, high-quality caffeine is a must-have in most offices today. No matter how exciting and fun your job may be, long hours toiling away at the desk warrants the need for a quick caffeine fix. Voila! A coffee machine that helps energize, stay alert, concentrate and even boost productivity is nothing short of a lifesaver.
Moreover, taking a short coffee break enables one to break out of their work slump, walk around, and chat with colleagues in the break room. Small talk around the coffee machine may, at first, seem like harmless, silly banter. Some may even view them as a waste of time. However, that’s far from the truth. There’s ample research to prove that these informal conversations and casual interactions become an integral part of workplace culture and collaborations. Even if momentarily, it helps take your mind off the work stress, allowing you to know your peers better.
In fact, some people even schedule coffee breaks with their co-workers to discuss work in a more relaxed and leisurely way. You’ll be surprised to know that conversations at the coffee machine are known to open doors to all sorts of new ideas, innovative solutions, and creative inspiration.
So you see, the simple presence of a coffee machine at work benefits us in ways we cannot even imagine. From boosting happiness and productivity to encouraging creative thinking and exchange of ideas, a coffee machine today is becoming an essential part of the office culture. And not only does it show that the employer cares about their employees, but it's also needed to build a healthy and productive work environment.
Unfortunately, with the ongoing global situation, the office coffee culture has become another addition to the unending list of simple joys that the pandemic has robbed us of. Although, there's no denying that most of us are by now well accustomed to our work-from-home routines. We have even managed to bring the office coffee culture home - by brewing our fancy lattes in even fancier cups and mugs.
But despite all of this, many people are still said to be missing their office coffee. If you were to ask us, it's not the coffee, particularly, that they're missing. In most likelihood, it's the absence of random conversations and general workplace banter over coffee that is making things seem amiss. So until we return to our offices, let's make do with some virtual coffee sessions, shall we?