Having a kitchen on-site in your office is a great idea. This helps encourage employees to eat more healthfully rather than going out to eat, and it can even help employees save money. Plus, it's a perk that your employees are sure to appreciate, so it can even help with boosting employee morale. If you're in the midst of planning to add a kitchen to your office, though, you could be wondering about how to design it and set it up. These are a few tips that can help.
Set a Budget
Installing a kitchen in your office can be an expensive project, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune. If you set a budget before you get started, you can make sure that it does not cost your company too much money. Then, your business can realize the true benefits of having an in-office kitchen without the in-office kitchen becoming a financial burden for the business.
Provide Ample Seating
Along with providing a space so that employees can prepare their own food, you'll also want to provide them with a place where they can sit down and enjoy their food while they're taking their lunch break. Setting up tables with chairs or bar stools is a good idea. Then, your employees will be able to eat without taking their food back to their desk, which allows them to actually relax for a while and helps cut down with messes throughout the office. Plus, it helps encourage employees to mingle with one another, which is a good thing if you want to encourage teamwork within your office.
Make the Area Easy to Clean
Making your office kitchen easy to clean is important. You don't want the kitchen to be a big mess, nor do you want your employees to spend time on cleaning the office kitchen when they should be enjoying their food or getting back to work and being productive. Choosing appliances that are easy to clean, adding a dishwasher to the office kitchen and choosing paint that is easy to clean are all good steps that will help with this.
Provide Essentials
Making sure that your office kitchen is set up well and that it includes various essentials that your employees might need is a good idea. For example, you'll definitely want to make sure that basic appliances like a coffee maker, microwave and refrigerator are available. Additionally, consider providing things like plates, cups, coffee mugs and cutlery as well as basic condiments and spices for employees to use. These things don't cost a lot but can help your employees a lot when they're trying to enjoy their meals at work.
Brighten it Up
You don't want the kitchen in your office to look drab and boring. Instead, you want it to be an inviting place where your employees will want to enjoy meals and conversation with their co-workers. Choosing an attractive color scheme and providing plenty of lighting are two steps that you can take that will be in the right direction.
Conclusion
Having a kitchen in your office is a great idea. If you don't already have one, or if the kitchen that you have in your office could use some improvement, then you could be thinking about a big remodeling project that involves installing a new kitchen in the office. This is a great way to keep your employees happy and provide them with a place to prepare and enjoy their meals. If you're overwhelmed with this whole process, follow these tips to make it easier to create the perfect kitchen for your office.
