Think Big Partners: The 5 Reasons Every Office Needs a Coffee Bar

Here at Think Big Partners, we'll admit it: we're pretty spoiled. We have fantastic, collaborative coworkers, a modern coworking space and a whole lot of freedom. But we became the most spoiled of all when we installed our very own gourmet coffee bar.

Our coffee bar is top-of-the-line complete with an espresso machine, a top-notch bean grinder, flavor pumps, percolators and some of the best beans and teas in the world (courtesy of Kansas City's The Roasterie). Our office coffee bar is pretty extraordinary. And we know that a lot of other offices and coworking spaces in the area don't provide the amazing coffee that we do. But an office doesn't have to have all the fancy equipment to provide coworkers and employees with a great cup of coffee. All you really need is a high quality coffee grinder, a brewer and some coffee beans.

So why don't most office provide these three coffee essentials? We're not sure. Not only is it super easy to set up (and not that expensive), but having an office coffee bar reaps many more benefits. And here, for your coffee-drinking pleasure, are some of the biggest benefits we've noticed by having a coffee bar in our coworking space:

1. Saves us a &*@!load of time

I performed a little test. While my coworker walked to our coffee bar and made herself a vanilla cappuccino, I headed down the street (about 1 block) and ordered a vanilla cappuccino from a local cafe. It took my coworkers approximately 3 minutes and 21 seconds to prepare her own vanilla cappuccino and sit back down at her desk. It took me, on the other hand, 17 minutes and 41 seconds to get my coffee at the cafe and sit down at my desk. My coworker gave herself an extra 14 minutes and 20 seconds to accomplish the work she needed to that day. I lost 14 minutes and 20 seconds. In other words, having a coffee bar in the office could save the average coworker approximately 1 hour and 12 minutes every week. Ever wish you could stop work at 4:00 on Fridays? Now, you can. Just install a brewer, a grinder and voila! More time with the kids on Friday night.

2. Encourages people to come see us

Ever wish clients would come to you for a change? With a coffee bar, they might! Instead of meeting in the local coffee shop, offer for your clients or other meetings to come to your office for coffee. When you have a coffee bar, almost everyone will say yes. Once you get them in the building, they're in your territory and you can be in control of the conversation. Thank you coffee!

3. Spread the love

Having a coffee bar isn't just great for new meetings, it also works in favor of your coworkers! If you're the head of the office, install a coffee bar in the office and you'll be everybody's favorite boss. This seemingly "small" employee perk could change the mood and atmosphere of the entire office.

4. Control your order

Ever think that maybe, just maybe, that coffee barista "decaffeinated" you? He probably didn't...but you never know. Having a coffee bar in the office allows you to control your order 100% of the time. People can get pretty particular about their coffee orders. But having a coffee bar in the office allows you to put just the right amount of coffee, milk, sugar, creamer and whatever else (we even provide chocolate syrup!) into your Cup of Joe.

5. Saves money

Every time you run into the coffee shop, a standard order will cost you at least $4.00 (that doesn't include that delicious-looking berry-filled croissant). But installing a coffee bar in your office doesn't cost a whole lot. Depending on how much you provide, a coffee bar can run relatively cheap. All you need is a coffee grinder, a coffee brewer, a few bags of coffee beans and installation (which The Roasterie offers for about $150). After that, it's just a matter of buying coffee beans (which you can buy at a wholesale price when you buy in bulk!) and any other flavorings, cups and stirrers. A cup of coffee from your very own coffee bar will only cost you about $.15. Worth it!

We love our coffee bar. And we want to share the caffeinated love with you! Check out a few pictures of our coffee bar (yeah, we kicked it up a few notches...we have more than just a grinder and a brewer!):