Katie Waxman, Author at Marché

Subsidized Break Room Benefits in New York City

Benefits of Subsidized Break Room Services in New York City

February 15, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Employee benefits are important. The quality and type of benefits available at a business can have one of two effects. They can either draw potential New York City employees to a company or push them away. While benefits can be expensive, there is one benefit that employees consider higher value but has a lower cost for employers.

What is it? The answer is the break room.

We’re not talking about just any break room though. We are talking about a break room that offers subsidized vending services or pantry service.

Lower Cost Services

In traditional vending machines or a micro-market, employees pay the full cost for the products they buy. For subsidized vending services, New York City employers pay part of the cost. Their employees then get to enjoy all or some products at a reduced price.

No Cost Services

Pantry service offers an even bigger benefit. Employees get to enjoy the snacks, beverages, and fresh food for free. At the end of each month, employers receive a bill for the products that employees ate and drank. From packaged snacks to bulk nut and cereal options, there is something for everyone.

Free vending is like pantry service, but with a couple of differences. First, the products are in a vending machine instead of sitting out in the open. Second, there is a limit on the number of products offered in a vending machine. Otherwise, the menu can be customized to include everyone’s favorites.

Benefits for All

A break room should be a place for employees to recharge and refuel. The New York City break room with free or subsidized refreshments becomes something more.

Employers can use the space to attract new and keep current employees and drive up company loyalty. Happier and more engaged employees are more likely to spend more time at work instead of going off-site for meals and breaks.

Both vending service options also allow for a wider variety of healthy snacks and beverages. Employees are more likely to grab a healthy product if they are easily accessible.

Let’s talk about your break room.

Are you ready to take the next step to boost your New York City company’s break room benefits? We can help. Marché offers various vending service options that can be customized to meet your budget and your employee’s snacking and beverage needs.

For more information, please contact us at 833-627-2431. We look forward to hearing from you.

4 Chocolate Snack Benefits in New York City Break Rooms

February 3, 2021January 30, 2021 by Katie Waxman

A chocolate bar is a great snack to include in your New York City break room vending machine. Seriously. Traditional snacks and better-for-you snacks do not have to fall into two different categories, especially when chocolate is involved.

Chocolate can be both. This is especially good since most consumers believe chocolate can be part of a happy, balanced lifestyle.

When someone says chocolate, most people think of milk chocolate, but dark chocolate is a great choice too. The higher amounts of cocoa in dark chocolate offer more health benefits. (But all chocolate is excellent!)

Here are 4 benefits.

The Snack Stress Reducer

It’s an understatement to say that everyone is under stress right now. It’s also known that too much stress is bad for one’s health. Chocolate can help with that.

Eating all types of chocolate boosts endorphins, which results in happier people and a decrease in stress. It’s easier to focus and work when one isn’t stressed. Chocolate also contains caffeine, a favorite afternoon energy boost.

Offering various chocolate bars in the snack vending machine makes it easy to find something when you need it.

Heart Health

Dark chocolate is rich in magnesium and copper, two minerals that help regulate blood pressure. Regularly eating small amounts of dark chocolate also provides the body with essential antioxidants. The antioxidants have many jobs. They help protect the heart, control insulin sensitivity, and improve blood flow.

Eating heart healthy foods also supports the body’s other systems. A healthy heart can help your employees’ immune system fight colds and other easily spreadable illnesses.

Fewer Sick Workers

Dark chocolate helps even more here too. The high levels of Catechins in dark chocolate give the immune system an extra boost. A stronger immune system means fewer colds. Fewer sick employees mean fewer disruptions and decreases in workplace productivity.

Better Morale with a Chocolate Snack

Yes, chocolate can improve morale. Benefits like trendy snacks and beverages in the break room vending machine really do have an impact. It might seem small to you, but it means a lot to your New York City employees. Your employees will know that you see them and that their happiness matters to you.

Who would have thought that a chocolate bar could do all of this?

Marché would like to help you customize your break room. Choose from a selection of delicious snacks, beverages, and fresh food to create the perfect menu. For more information about all our refreshment services, including micro-markets, vending machines, and office coffee service, please call us at 833-627-2431.

Coffee Is A High-Value Benefit in New York City

January 18, 2021January 15, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Did you know that coffee is liquid gold? Well, not actual gold, but it’s certainly worth its weight in gold. And our office coffee service can help you find more gold. You might not believe that right now but hear me out.

Let’s start by looking at what happens without office coffee service in your break room.

When coffee isn’t available or tastes bad, employees must find it elsewhere.
Coffee has caffeine, and we all know caffeine is a popular energy booster.
A great break room with a variety of delicious hot drinks is a highly valued employee benefit.

Now, let’s consider the impact that it can have.

Company Morale

Offering our service in your New York City break room can affect your employees. Start by asking your employees about the types of beverages they would like to see. Options might include traditional coffee, espresso-based beverages, single-cup options, or hot tea. Their preferences might surprise you.

Knowing that their employer listened, employees are more likely to feel valued, creating a positive workplace culture. The break room will also become a central meeting and relationship building location. Both planned and unplanned conversations lead to increased creativity, problem-solving, and a better overall team spirit.

Staying On-Site

This question might sound over-simplified, but where do your employees go if they can’t get a good coffee at work? The answer is off-site. While that should only require a short break, the reality is often quite different. A short break turns into a longer break, which means less time working and lower productivity.

But, if you offer our service in your New York City break room, that doesn’t have to happen. Our menu includes everyone’s favorite hot beverages. Employees need only make a trip to the break room for a great-tasting cup of Joe and an impromptu conversation.

Coffee and Energy Levels

Employees in New York City are tired, so it shouldn’t be surprising that almost two-thirds of adults drink coffee every day. What can you do to help them with their lack of energy and need for caffeine? The answer is coffee. Not only does the caffeine supply an energy boost, but it can also improve one’s mood. And the high levels of antioxidants and other nutrients offer added health benefits.

Combine the three reasons above, and you can see why your break room needs our office coffee service. Your unique solution will include the perfect combination of brewers and brands to create the experience your employees deserve. From single-cup or bean-to-cup brewers to traditional brewing equipment, there is a solution for everyone.

For more information about upgrading your current coffee service or about our micro-market and vending services, please call Marché at 833-627-2431.

Snacking in New York City Break Rooms

December 28, 2020 by Katie Waxman

How does snacking fit into your day? Do snacks replace a meal or help you survive until your next one? Or, maybe they’re an energy boost? What about a reward or something to satisfy a craving? You aren’t alone if your snacks function as just one of those, or if they are all three at the same time. The way consumers plan, choose, and eat food has changed.

To help New York City employees learn about their new vending options and see the value, let’s take a look at the three primary snack needs.

Nutritious Options

- helps to meet daily caloric needs and to stay hydrated
- keeps energy levels stable and up
- helps to manage health and diet
- stops hunger between meals
- examples: yogurt, granola bars, whole fruits and vegetables, water, and smoothies

Snacking for Optimization

- helps to meet mental and physical performance goals
- offers an energy boost
- helps with recovery after exertion or a loss of nutrients, fluids, and energy
- increases mental focus
- examples: coffee, whole fruits, popcorn, nuts, protein bars, and smoothies

Snacks and Pleasure

- offers comfort and stops cravings, at least in the short term
- can be either an indulgence or a reward
- creates a time to eat different flavors and textures
- is an opportunity to try new foods
- examples: cookies, candy, chips, nuts, and flavored milks

Each of these snack needs can function independently or in combination with each other. In most situations, New York City employees don’t realize that they require the snack to be fun even if their goal is nutritional. One way to meet those increasing needs and have a positive impact on your employees is to reconsider the types of snacks and beverages offered in your break room vending machine or micro-market.

Marché can help update your break room layout and customize your refreshment menu to inspire snacking occasions and meet your employees’ needs. Not only is it good for your New York City employees’ health and well-being, but it’s also good for company morale and productivity.

To learn more about the wide variety of fresh food, snacks, and beverages we offer and our vending, micro-market, and coffee services, please contact us at 833-627-2431.

Healthy Food Trends in New York City in 2021

December 15, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Employees want access to healthy options. The events of 2020 have made that desire even stronger. Since New York City employees spend the majority of the day at work, the break room is the ideal place to grab something to eat or drink. Vending machines and micro-markets can offer both healthy and traditional snacks, beverages, and fresh food.

The start of 2021 will soon be here with new food trends to explore. Here are four that include a variety of healthy ingredients.

Immune Boosting Foods

Citrus, ginger, and garlic are some of the more well-known immune boosting ingredients. While none of these will prevent or cure illnesses, they do help strengthen the immune system. A strong immune system can fight off colds and other infections. Superfoods such as berries, leafy greens (the darker the better), nuts, whole grains, yogurt, cruciferous vegetables, and legumes also help.

Meals or snacks made with these healthy ingredients don’t have to be complicated. Your New York City break room menu could include a salad with mixed greens, broccoli and chickpeas, trail mix with dried fruit, and whole grain crackers with or without a nut butter.

Healthy Breakfast

Whether the start of your employees’ day is at 6:00 am or 6:00 pm, choosing something healthy for the first meal of the day makes sure that the day starts off right. Simple and quick options available in the break room could include oatmeal, muffins, granola and yogurt, a breakfast burrito, hard boiled eggs, or a smoothie.

The Next “It” Ingredient

Following in cauliflower’s footsteps, chickpeas are projected to be 2021’s “it” ingredient. Chickpeas are very versatile. Almost anything can be made with them. They are also a great source of protein. Menu options could include baked chickpeas with a variety of spices and flavors, breakfast cereals (which everyone knows can be enjoyed 24/7), chocolate covered chickpeas, and crisps or chips.

An Extra Healthy Serving

It’s not always easy to eat enough fruits and vegetables. Instead of worrying about adding an extra serving to a meal, vegetable and fruit-based snacks are an alternative. Jerky made from fruit or vegetables is a new snack option that falls into that category. Flavors range from banana or mango to mushrooms and beets. There really is a flavor for everyone.

And don’t forget about the coffee. It may not be on the 2021 trends list, but it will always be in demand. Discover how easy it is to offer healthy snacks and fresh food in your New York City break room.

For more information, please call Marché at 833-627-2431. We look forward to helping you get your break room ready for 2021.

The Best Break Room Decision Ever Made in New York City

December 7, 2020November 30, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Would you find the following break room space inviting? It’s a room with several long tables and chairs, a refrigerator next to some cabinets, maybe a sink, and a coffee pot that looks as old as the dinosaurs. If you don’t, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, that’s what many break rooms used to look like. Employees had to either go off-site for something to eat or drink or remember to bring something from home.

Today, however, there are a lot of options to choose from. It’s easy to create a welcoming space with everyone’s favorite snacks, fresh food, and drinks. And micro-markets are incredibly versatile.

Break Room Make Over

A micro-market works almost like a small convenience store. There are open racks for shelf-stable products, reach-in coolers and freezers, and a self-checkout kiosk. The accompanying security system allows the micro-market to stay open 24/7—a plus for employees who work the second and third shifts.

Unlike old-school vending machines, employees can pick up and read product labels before buying an item. The information on labels allows employees to do the following:

- Check expiration dates
- Examine ingredient lists and nutritional information
- Make an informed purchasing decision based on their taste buds and health goals

Payment Options

Micro-market kiosks offer several convenient payment methods. Options can include mobile payment apps, stored value cards, and credit/debit cards. The old concern about carrying enough cash is gone. With stored value cards, employees can upload cash or credit (at the kiosk or online) and make purchases like they would with a debit or credit card.

Freshness Comes First

Reach-in coolers can hold almost anything. In addition to cold beverages, they hold FRESH food. Delicious sandwiches, healthy salads, parfaits, wraps, and chopped fruit are a few of the choices that could be offered on your break room menu. Employees will be able to enjoy the benefits without ever having to leave the office.

So, what does all of this mean for your New York City business?

- Happier and healthier employees
- A decrease in extended off-site breaks
- An increase in employee efficiency and productivity

Combine them and discover improved workplace morale and a better bottom line.

Do you want to revolutionize your company’s break room? Choose a micro-market by Marché. We will customize a solution that meets your organization’s needs. From offering fresh and healthy meal options to creating a market design that fits your physical space, we can help. Add office coffee service with freshly made coffee and espresso-based beverages and make the break room even more inviting.

For more information about all our break room services, including office coffee service and vending machines, please call us at 833-627-2431. We look forward to helping you create the perfect break room destination.

Bean-to-Cup Coffee Can Make A Difference in New York City

December 2, 2020November 15, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Grabbing a cup of coffee during the workday shouldn’t have to be complicated. The whole process of going to the corner coffee shop, standing in line, waiting for your order, and going back to work is time-consuming. And time spent away from work isn’t the only cost. Lost productivity and fewer chances for spontaneous collaboration are two more.

An Easy Solution

Your New York City break room doesn’t have to mirror a full-service cafe. One with baristas that create works of art to be the perfect location. A micro-market with everyone’s favorite fresh foods, snacks, and beverages plus coffee service (OCS) with a bean-to-cup brewer will do the trick.

Not only will it help keep employees energized and hydrated, but it’s part of a good business strategy. Coffee and espresso-based beverages are a perk that everyone loves. Your company can choose from a wide selection of brewers to offer the best combination of hot beverages.

Mike Cochrane, Vice President of Sales and Business Development at Cafection, explained, “With bean-to-cup, you get to experiment with new drinks while participating in a sustainable industry that produces less waste.”

A single-cup or bean-to-cup brewer offers a variety of hot beverages, is cost-effective, and can have a big impact. Including one in your micro-market keeps New York City employees on-site during the workday, provides energy, and fuels creativity.

What Is a Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine?

A bean-to-cup machine is precisely what it sounds like. Several different kinds of whole beans are placed in the machine. They are left untouched until needed. When an employee wants a beverage, the machine grinds the beans to the correct fineness, brews them to order, and creates the desired drink. The short time between grinding and brewing makes sure the coffee grounds are as fresh as possible.

The combination of different beans, grind settings, flavor additions, and cup sizes results in a diverse menu. Below are just a few of the options a bean-to-cup brewer can offer.

Traditional Coffee (available in light, medium, and dark roasts)

- Bean Options 1, 2 and 3
- Decaf
- Combinations of the four options above

Hot Beverages

- French Vanilla: coffee plus French vanilla flavoring
- Vanilla Mocha: coffee plus vanilla flavoring and hot chocolate
- Mochaccino: coffee plus hot chocolate or cocoa powder
- Vanilla Mocha: hot chocolate plus vanilla flavoring
- Chocolate Latte: hot chocolate with milk

Gourmet Options

- Energy Shot: a shot of espresso plus vitamins that deliver energy
- Hot Shot Blend: 2 shots of espresso for when you need a caffeine boost
- Long Espresso: a shot of whipped espresso that is more bitter than a regular shot of espresso
- Café Latte: espresso plus milk
- Cappuccino: a shot of whipped milk topped with whipped espresso

It’s time to discover the effect that a single bean-to-cup machine in your micro-market can have on your New York City employees. If a micro-market isn’t a good fit for your place of business, vending services such as pantry service and one or more single-cup brewers are a great alternative.

For more information about our micro-market and OCS options as well as our other break room services, please contact Marché at 833-627-2431. We look forward to hearing from you!

New York City Break Room Modified for 2020

Your New York City Break Room Can Be Modified for 2020

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020 by Katie Waxman

The pandemic of 2020 has affected everything work related including the break room experience. For many New York City businesses, the pre-COVID break room was a multi-purpose space that offered both tangible and intangible employee benefits. It was a gathering space, a workspace, and a place to relax as well as being the hub of all things edible. Workplace culture and company morale could be positively impacted by the experiences that employees had there.

Before March of 2020, New York City break rooms were used in many ways including:

- buffet-style lunches
- free bagels or donuts—something that gets everyone excited in the morning
- birthday celebrations with cakes and cookies
- on-site café-style coffee menus
- catered working lunches
- communal kitchens with snacks and beverages
- community breakfasts
- free snacks, beverages, and fresh food
- potluck meals and other holiday celebrations
- fresh food and coffee options—encouraging employees to stay on-site and increasing productivity

While many traditional ways of doing things are on hold, at least for now, it doesn’t mean employers and employees are left without options. There are still many ways that employers can safely provide snacks, fresh food, cold beverages, and coffee options that will boost morale and continue to decrease the need to go off-site.

Prepackaged Everything

Rather than offering free donuts in the morning, snacks in bulk, or a shared potluck meal, fresh food and snacks should be prepackaged. Choices such as individually wrapped muffins or donuts, prepackaged mixed nuts, and a prepared salad or sandwich are great options. Fortunately, many employers already have systems in place to provide those types of refreshments.

Additionally, all the products in vending machines and most of the products available in micro-markets are prepackaged. For those products that weren’t prepackaged before March 2020, there are now solutions available and changes that can be made to overcome this obstacle. Employers need to work with their refreshment provider to customize a solution for their specific situation.

Safety Protocols

Implementing a variety of safety precautions connected directly to the break room can not only decrease exposure, but it can also help support company culture. New York City employees who feel that their employer cares about their health and well-being are more likely to be invested in their job and be more productive.

In addition to prepackaged options, break room safety protocols can include directions for picking up or touching items in multiple situations such as using hand sanitizer before touching a kiosk or vending machine or using a paper towel as a barrier when opening a cooler in a micro-market. Extra signs with messages such as “if you touch it, please take it” can help remind everyone to limit the number of items they touch.

Does your New York City break room check off all the boxes? Sorting out the different ways to modify it can be time consuming. Marché can help you figure out the answers, so it meets today’s needs and has the potential to meet tomorrows. We offer customized refreshment menus that will fit your current needs and will work with you to adapt your break room as your employees’ needs change. For more information about our range of services, please call us at 833-627-2431.

Demand for Coffee Keeps Growing in New York City

October 23, 2020October 15, 2020 by Katie Waxman

The effects of COVID-19 continue to impact the break room experience. But even with all the changes, one thing has remained constant: the demand for coffee. New York City employees still look to their favorite caffeinated beverage for energy boosts and improved focus and productivity. Employers also continue to see office coffee service (OCS) as a tool to keep employees on-site during the workday, both increasing employee productivity and reducing risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Unlike pre-COVID OCS, which encouraged employees to gather in-person for spontaneous collaboration and workplace morale, today’s OCS also needs to support the workplace community while safely offering the same variety of customizable and delicious beverages. Individually packaged lighteners, or creamers, and coffee and tea flavor boosts can help create delicious hot beverages, workplace morale, and a safer break room environment.

Traditional creamers are usually made with dairy and come in popular flavors such as Original, French Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Caramel Macchiato as well as seasonal flavors like Pumpkin Spice, Peppermint Mocha, and Mint Truffle. Plant-based creamers, a 2020 top trend, are often made with almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk. Newcomers to the plant-based category include oat milk and hemp milk. Surprisingly, Datassential, a research firm, found that “more than half of today’s creamer users add plant-based milk or creamer to their coffee.”

Single-serve flavor or spice packets also offer New York City employees a different way to safely customize their coffee or tea. Options include individual spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or turmeric and combinations such as chai blends and pumpkin spice. In addition to creating a delicious beverage, these spices also offer health benefits. Turmeric, for example, has anti-inflammatory properties while cinnamon has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and antioxidant properties.

In addition to offering a variety of popular coffee flavorings, OCS providers need to be proactive when it comes to explaining workplace safety measures and product alternatives. For example, at a specific New York City organization, single-serve products may be a better option while at another, individually packaged items aren’t feasible, and bulk must be used. Employees at both locations need clear and specific instructions about how to safely use the products available to them.

Successful collaboration between employers and refreshment providers has the potential to create flexible break room spaces that are welcoming and safe and offer the snacks, hot and cold beverages, and fresh food that employees want.

Marché is here to help New York City employers who have employees already back at work and those employers who are figuring out how to bring their employees back. In addition to offering an extensive and customizable refreshment menu, we follow well-established safety protocols to ensure the safety of your employees and ours. For more information about our services and safety policies and procedures, please reach out to us at 833-627-2431.

Snacks or Candy – Which One Is the Answer New York City?

October 2, 2020September 30, 2020 by Katie Waxman

What is a piece of gum? It can’t be eaten like traditional snacks or candy, even though it’s definitely edible. It can be chewed at any time of the day, but there are many places where it isn’t allowed. One thing is true: it’s been around for a really long time. In fact, humans have been chewing it in one form or another for over 10,000 years.

The oldest known sample—a 5,000-year-old piece of chewing gum made from bark tar that had tooth imprints in it—was found in Kierikki, Finland by a British archaeology student in 2007. Bark tar from the birch tree was used as an antiseptic and chewed to treat oral gum infections by the Neolithic people located in present day Scandinavia.

It’s also been found in other cultures around the world. Here are a few interesting facts about the history of chewing gum:

Mastiche, chewed by the Greeks, is the sap from the mastiche tree.
Tsiclte, chewed by the ancient Mayans, is the sap from the sapodilla tree.
Spruce sap was chewed by Native Americans from New England.
“The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum”, the first commercially produced gum, was sold by John B. Curtis, an American businessman, in 1848.
Around 1850, gum made from paraffin wax surpassed spruce gum in popularity.
The first chewing gum patent was filed on December 28, 1869 by William Semple.

Today, chewing gum come in many shapes and flavors with over 45 brands, and even more flavors, of gum available in the U.S. According to a survey done by the National Consumer Survey (NCS) in 2018, about 175 million people in the U.S. used chewing gum. in 2020, the U.S. gum market is projected to account for over 27 percent of the global chewing gum market.

There are two primary types of chewing gum: functional chewing gum (gum with a purpose) and bubble gum (the gum New York City residents chew for fun). Bubble gum is designed to inflate or create bubbles whereas functional chewing gum has a specific purpose such as oral health and weight management (curb cravings and improve digestion). Studies also show chewing gum also helps improve memory, reduce stress, and increase alertness.

Whether New York City employees chew gum for enjoyment, to freshen their breath, or for a memory boost, access to gum is important for many individuals especially throughout their workday. Employers can make it easier to purchase gum and encourage employees to stay on-site during the workday by including gum with the snacks and candy in the break room vending machines or micro-market.

Employees who go off-site for snacks, fresh food, and coffee tend to take longer breaks. Not only does individual output go down, but overall productivity also decreases. Designing a break room menu that includes a mix of traditional and healthy snacks, fresh food, and all types of beverages is a benefit that often has a higher value to employees than its actual cost to the employer.

Marché can help your New York City business create a customized menu that is appealing to everyone. For more information about our micro-market, vending, and office coffee services, please contact us at 833-627-2431.