Bonding with co-workers over bad office coffee may soon become another obsolete workplace ritual (like voicemail).

Today, more companies are looking to get into the $2.6 billion office coffee service industry by promising many of the same trends percolating in third-wave cafes — think single origin beans and specialty espresso beverages.

As fewer people drink coffee at home, workplace consumption has gradually increased from a low of 16% in 2013 to 21% in 2016, according to NCA National Coffee Drinking Trends data.

Last year, office coffee supply companies served up 4.4 billion cups of coffee in the United States (up 5% over the previous year), Samuel Nahmias, president of the market intelligence firm STUDYLOGIC, told The Boston Globe.

[Ed. note: STUDYLOGIC is the source for the National Coffee Association Monthly Market Sizing reports, an NCA member benefit]

At the same time, employee preferences are changing. While significant portion of those cups are sourced from large office food supply companies, 50 million of those cups were cold-brewed, which is a 165% spike up from 2015.

Serving quality office coffee is increasingly important for employers looking to attract top talent — especially in competitive fields like tech. According to a recent survey, 48% of Millennials said that if they were looking for a new job, they would weigh company perks (like coffee) in their decision. It’s also linked to employee satisfaction and productivity.

Office Coffee Satisfaction

Of the 71% of people who had a workplace coffee area, only 46% were “very satisfied” with their workplace’s coffee options.

Source: The Boston Globe

 

What trends are you seeing in office coffee – and what are the opportunities for industry innovation? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Compiled by Kyra Auffermann, NCA