Embrace office cool with a barista-style reception area

The Barista-style reception area is an essential element for every stylish office overhaul. The concept has been around for a couple of years now, but is still increasing in popularity for a number of reasons;

They’re functional. They put guests at ease immediately. They offer a place to catch up and they have become the hallmark of a dynamic, young company that has its finger on the pulse of social norms -an essential for every stylish office.

A barista-style reception area fosters a new level of interaction and networking and helps businesses to break down silos that can interfere with effective communication.

What is a barista-style reception area?

The Barista-style reception area is a reception space where employees can congregate to socialise or strategise, kind of like a breakout room, but where they can also collect an indulgent hot beverage, or maybe even a cold beverage – an alternative to going to a coffee shop for a meeting, or a change of scene. A barista-style reception area provides a sense of occasion – rather than going to a standard office kitchen and huddling around the kettle and is easier than ever with stylish kitchen mod cons like Quooker taps that have the added bonus of providing hot water for instant drinks.

This trend first found its feet post covid, as office owners were trying to differentiate getting into the office to working from home and as we move into 2024, it’s increasing in popularity.

The key ingredients for a popular and successful Barista-style reception area

Comfort – You may not wish to provide sofas for employees to while away hours, but some strategically placed poseur tables are great for giving employees a place to rest drinks, laptops or just lean. You may want to consider bar stools for those wanting to perch a little longer, too – they’re not so comfortable as to invite all-day sitting, but they are perfect for sitting just long enough to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.

Practicality – Noise can travel, so a partition system to separate the barista-style reception area from other parts of the room may be useful. Not all offices will need this though, so consider what other functions the room has.

Style – Think about creating a barista-style drinks area that says something about your company. Choose décor that is as practical as it is stylish – something like our magnetic kitchen splashbacks with plants in chic oak planter cubes will provide a striking feature, but will also offer practicality in terms of cleaning and everyday use.

Function – Consider what drinks you’ll serve in the area and whether you’ll employ someone to man the area or encourage employees to help themselves. If employees do help themselves, you need to allocate responsibility for keeping the area clean to someone who can practically check the area regularly.

Will you offer employees teas, coffees and coffee syrups too? What about snacks?  Will you offer other drinks too? These are all decisions for the individual business and such decisions are important in creating the dynamic you’re looking for.

You can get almost everything you need for your barista-style reception area or, if you’re not ready for such a step change, you can also find all that you need for your office kitchen from Box 15. When you buy from Box15 you can save as you spend with buy-in-bulk discounts available to our customers. We also have an attentive customer service team on standby to help with any questions you may have. Simply call us on 01295 565001 or speak to one of our friendly online advisors who will be happy to help.