The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide To Budget For Your Office Pantry

Step 1: Estimate Each Day’s Office Kitchen Headcount

The first step in crafting an office pantry budget is to estimate the number of employees present in the office on any given workday. While it doesn't have to be an exact count, having a rough estimate helps plan pantry orders, restocks, and deliveries. That said, this headcount forms the foundation of your budget so the more accurate you can be, the better. 

For example, at Crafty we know that Tuesdays is the prime day for people to be in the office. Why Tuesday, you ask? It’s simple, free lunch. And before you ask, yes, we use our own corporate catering services to spoil our team. 

The team at HQ organizes orders to ensure the office kitchen is well-stocked for Tuesdays. They also ensure that there is a restock after Tuesdays knowing that there may be more consumption due to the increased traffic. Consider surveying your team to understand their in-office schedules so you can better predict when peak office days would be.

Step 2: Set An Office Pantry Budget/Employee/Day

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and set a budget per person for your office pantry. Crafty's experience with 300+ offices globally has led to identifying three budget tiers that most of our clients fall within. These tiers can help visualize the types and amounts of food and beverage items your team could receive. 

• Tier 1: $5.00/employee/day
• Tier 2: $7.50/employee/day
• Tier 3: $10.00/employee/day

Remember that your product selection, alongside your employees' snack consumption, can impact how far this daily employee budget can travel. If you opt toward lower-cost items like chips, sparkling waters, oatmeal, etc., your employees may be able to get more items per day. Your daily product count will drop if your employees prefer premium-priced products like canned coffee or fresh produce. 

Don’t worry, Crafty works with you to develop the perfect product mix that fits within your budget and appeals to your employees’ preferences and estimated consumption. Once you've selected the appropriate tier for your company, you can easily calculate your estimated monthly spend by multiplying the chosen tier by your daily headcount for each day of the week. This budget will help ensure your pantry remains well-stocked while keeping your employees happy!

A great place to start is checking out trends report that rounds trends and insights fresh out the pantry across 300+ offices across the globe. We even highlight the most consumed office snacks, drinks and coffee products so you can jumpstart planning your daily budget per employee per day! Access Crafty's trends report and use our data to build your budget.

Step 3: Time Set Your Delivery Schedule

No one, and we repeat, no one wants to see empty shelves. Choosing the right delivery cadence is pivotal in maintaining a consistently stocked office pantry that aligns with your budget. Crafty offers various delivery cadence options based on your monthly pantry spend, and selecting the suitable delivery schedule ensures that your pantry is always well-supplied without excess inventory piling up, saving you money in the long run.

Here's what Crafty data suggests in terms of delivery schedule:

• 2 deliveries/week for a $3k+ pantry spend (approx $375/delivery)
• 3 deliveries/week for a $7k+ pantry spend (approx $583/delivery)
• 4 deliveries/week for an $11k+ pantry spend (approx $687/delivery)
• 5 deliveries/week for a $15k+ pantry spend (approx $750/delivery)

The benefit of centralizing your office food service program with Crafty, is that you can choose different budgets, products, and cadences to suit each location while managing everything in one platform. You can see if the New York office is spending compared to the budget in real-time while also looking at your total company spend. Pretty neat! 🤓

Step 4: Match With The Right Service Package

This is where Crafty shines bright like a diamond…

Crafty offers comprehensive service packages that allow you to delegate tasks and responsibilities according to your needs. You can choose different service packages for each location while managing everything under one central umbrella. The goal is to provide a seamless experience that you can manage easily. 

When choosing the right package for you, we often ask you what tasks you are looking to delegate: 

• Delivery+: This covers takes ordering, deliveries, light restocks, and equipment upkeep off your plate. 
• Concierge: If you need everything in Delivery+ along with more tactical assistance, the concierge package covers a more robust restock and equipment maintenance, along with having a Crafty team member on-site to provide a bespoke food service experience.

Step 5: Finalize Your Equipment

Choose the ideal office kitchen equipment for your space that you can rent, purchase, or get for free through Crafty. Each office’s overall program spend and contract terms can unlock a free equipment budget that you can play with. The more you spend and the longer your contract term is, the more free equipment you’ll unlock. And it’s our job to make sure we give you the most free equipment possible. 🤑

From office coffee machines, refrigerators, to shelves; Crafty can elevate your office pantry with all the premium equipment you need. Our expert team also works with you to maximize your equipment to new heights. For example, Crafty will order extra shelves for your office refrigerators prior to recommending an additional unit to utilize every inch of space. Your kitchen is like a game of Tetris, and Crafty is an expert at packing the very best in your space.

Don’t Forget: Crafty’s Love Language Is Acts Of Service

We understand that your peace of mind is paramount. That's why Crafty's main focus is to provide reliable service, transparency, and support every step of the way. Between our innovative platform and our team of food service experts, we ensure you never have to stress about the details of elevating your office pantry program. Just sit back, relax, and easily monitor day-to-day pantry operations and reports via one central dashboard.

Here's what you can expect when you partner with Crafty:

• Reliable Service & Support: The Crafty Team is an extension of you ensuring that your office pantry is consistently stocked, looks beautiful, and everything is working as promised. 
• Visibility Into Daily Operations: Our platform provides transparency into your office operations across locations so you can see what’s being accomplished at any time. 
• Automated Inventory Tools: Crafty's automated inventory tools take the hassle of ordering off your plate while preventing overstocking or shortages.
• Budget & Spending Transparency: Our budgeting tools offer transparency into your pantry expenses in real-time so you can make adjustments before problems arise.
• Real-Time Consumption Reporting: Stay informed about what products are popular and adjust your offerings based on employee preferences.

Office Pantry Budgeting Made Easy

Crafting an effective budget for your office pantry requires careful planning, key data points, and the right office food service provider. Crafty’s budgeting formula results in a well-stocked and efficient office pantry that contributes to a positive workplace experience. 

So, would you rather… 

• Work with a giant where shelves look sad and you get a “we’re over budget” email when it’s too late to correct  OR 
• Partner with Crafty and never have to experience the stress

It’s up to you: what’s your peace of mind worth?