April 2018 - Automatic Food Service Blog

The workplace including the office breakroom is changing. After the pendulum swung from everyone working at the office to a dramatic jump in remote employees, the pendulum is settling somewhere in the middle. Auburn companies are bringing their employees back to the office in hopes of fostering face-to-face collaboration, inspiring innovation, and increasing productivity. And thankfully, it isn’t back into cubeville or the dark, sparsely-decorated breakroom hidden somewhere at the back of the building. Companies are redesigning their environments to be open, communal areas with spaces designed to promote spontaneous work-related conversations and increase morale.

One area that is no longer left as an afterthought is the office breakroom. To learn more about what your Auburn employees need and want, try surveying them. They know what they want. A recent Staples survey found that “83 percent of employees say that a well-stocked breakroom results in happier employees, while 53 percent say that a well-stocked breakroom results in more productive employees.”

In 2018, there are a wide variety of options available including pantry service, cafe-style coffee service, and the micro-market.

Micro-Market

open concept “mini” store using open shelving, glass-front coolers, and self-checkout technology
offers employees the option to read nutrition labels and make educated decisions about what to eat or drink
highlights the opportunity to make healthy choices by offering fresh and nutritious sandwiches, wraps, salads, snacks and beverages, fresh produce, and yogurt
includes a wide variety of choices which acknowledge that employees have distinct preferences and unique work schedules

Cafe-Style Coffee Service

Creates a gourmet coffee-house experience without leaving the office
Includes a variety of teas and specially sourced coffee beans and locally roasted coffees creating a unique coffee experience
Uses different brewing systems including single-cup brewers, traditional brewers, and commercial brewers
Offers coffee-based alternatives including cold brew and nitro coffees

Pantry Service

pantry space in your break room with open shelving, bright glass-front coolers, and displays full of food, snack and beverage options
includes a wide variety of choices which acknowledges that employees have distinct preferences and unique work schedules
often includes a selection of breakfast foods, fresh and nutritious sandwiches, wraps, salads, fresh produce, and yogurt as well as healthy and traditional snacks and beverages
employers cover the full cost of this benefit allowing employees to focus on other financial responsibilities

Which options will your employees prefer? Think of Automatic Food Service as a partner that can help with your Auburn staffing needs through the services that we offer. To learn more about pantry service, cafe-style coffee service, or the micro-market, contact us at (334) 264.7336. We look forward to collaborating with you.

For the first time in history, bottled water is the No.1 packaged beverage in the United States (by volume). People are shifting away from less healthy packaged drinks and choosing the healthy option—bottled water.

– Jill Culora, International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), Vice President of Communications

According to a recent study by the IBWA, more than 63 percent of Americans choose bottled water as their beverage of choice. And 94 percent of Americans believe that bottled water is healthier than soft drinks. But what exactly does the phrase ‘bottled water’ mean? The definition is more complex than it might initially seem.

Per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bottled water is a consumer food product; which means that strict standards of identity must be followed in order to legally call a bottle filled with water ‘bottled water’. The FDA requires that the “type” of water must be clearly printed on the label of all bottled water sold in the United States. To understand the FDA’s classifications, it is important to know the following terms.

Spring Water: “Derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface, this water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole that taps the underground formation feeding the spring. If some external force is used to collect the water through a borehole, the water must have the same composition and quality as the water that naturally flows to the surface.”

Purified Water: “Bottled water that has been treated by distillation, reverse osmosis, or another suitable process may meet standards that allow it to be labeled as “purified water.””

Mineral Water: “This water comes from an underground source and contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water. They cannot be added later.”

Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water: “This water is collected from a well that taps an aquifer—layers of porous rock, sand, and earth that contain water—which is under pressure from surrounding upper layers of rock or clay. When tapped, the pressure in the aquifer, commonly called artesian pressure, pushes the water above the level of the aquifer, sometimes to the surface. Other means may be used to help bring the water to the surface.”

Well Water: “This is water from a hole bored or drilled into the ground, which taps into an aquifer.”

Understanding the different water sources and methods of extraction will help Montgomery employees answer questions about the taste, quality, and safety of a specific type of water. This is especially important as 82 percent of Americans think they should drink more water and 90 percent believe that bottled water is a healthy and convenient beverage.

To help your Montgomery employees stay hydrated and healthy, make sure to include bottled water in your office break room vending machine. Try offering healthy snacks with healthy beverages at a reduced cost. It not only keeps everyone hydrated and satiated, but it’s also a great moral booster. For more information about adding healthy vending machines to your Montgomery break room, call Automatic Food Service at (334) 264.7336.

Month: April 2018

Consider Updating Your Auburn Breakroom

Montgomery Consumers Prefer Bottled Water