How to set up an office beverage station?
Your beverage station is likely the most frequently visited spot in the office—after all, hydration isn’t optional. Proper hydration is critical for health and productivity, and the National Academy of Medicine recommends a daily fluid intake between 9-13 cups each day.
At a bare minimum, offices are federally mandated to provide clean, healthy drinking water. But smart workplaces take it a step further. These quick breaks don’t just keep employees refreshed; they create moments of interaction that build relationships, spark new ideas, and strengthen company culture.
Science backs this up. In our latest Workplace Trends Report, we explored how a quick chat over a drink makes your brain release oxytocin and dopamine—chemicals that lower stress, boost mood, and increase emotional resilience. Even brief social interactions can increase brain activity, helping employees return to work feeling more engaged and focused.
So, how do you turn your beverage station into a space that fuels both hydration and connection? Here’s how to make it happen:
- Assess Employee Preferences: Gather insights on what beverages employees actually drink. We recommend surveys or simply observing. Sometimes, employees think they want protein drinks, but in reality, they are grabbing sparkling waters more often.
- Choose the Right Equipment: Equipment is the backbone of your beverage station. Invest in quality water dispensers, ice machines, and refrigerators that match your employees' preferences. If you're already spending a ton of sparkling and flavored water, then maybe consider getting a Bevi to save the environment and your wallet.
- Think About Flow: As you set up your equipment and beverage station area, think about the flow of traffic and how you want people to move throughout the space. What are the entry points? Where will employees be browsing? What are the exit points? You want to ensure people can move quickly and efficiently as they grab a drink.
- Stock a Smart Variety: In the world of your office pantry, too much of anything can quickly become waste. You want to stock variety, but not so much that it ends up being a burden on your budget. Our Pantry Budgeting Guide gives you a starting point for how much variety you want to accommodate to remain within your budget.
- Keep It Organized: A good drink station is organized not just to help employees but to help control your spend. People consume with their eyes first, so where you place your drinks can impact how employees consume. That's why we recommend putting your cost-effective items at eye level and then your pricier options slightly above or below eye level.
What works:
- Breathing Room: The layout ensures there’s plenty of space between drink stations, allowing employees to move through freely without congestion.
- Glass Fridge: A glass-door fridge makes it easy to see what’s available without holding the door open forever, keeping things cold and cutting down on wasted energy.
- Sustainable Equipment: Bevi dispensers and cold brew kegs are game-changers. They cut down on single-use packaging while offering still and sparkling water, flavored enhancements, and cold brew on tap—better for the planet and just as refreshing.
- Something for Everyone: Hydration isn’t one-size-fits-all. A well-stocked fridge should have a mix of classics and functional drinks—sodas, juices, energy drinks, protein shakes, and more—so there’s always something that fits the moment.
What works:
- Clear Flow: Thoughtful placement of drinks, the water machine, and the coffee maker prevents bottlenecks and makes it easy for employees to grab what they need without crowding.
- Doubling Down on Preferences: You don’t need to stock everything—just the drinks people actually want. This office doubled down on Topo Chico because it’s a favorite, ensuring employees always have their go-to choice on hand.
- Water Machine Placement: Positioning the water dispenser between the coffee maker and other drinks isn’t just convenient—it’s strategic. Whether someone’s filling up their water bottle or grabbing ice for an iced coffee, everything is right where they need it.
Why it works:
- Keeping It Neat: Dividers help maintain clean, structured rows, making it easy for employees to grab their favorite drinks without disrupting the order.
- Smart Stocking Strategy: Cost-effective beverages are placed at eye level for easy access, while premium options are positioned slightly higher to encourage mindful consumption.
- Maximizing Storage Space: The fridge’s produce drawers aren’t just for fruits and veggies—they double as extra storage for chilled backup stock, ensuring restocks are quick and seamless.
- Visual Impact: Drinks are arranged not just by height to fit the shelving but also by color, creating a visually appealing display. Cooler tones like blues and purples are grouped on the right, while warm hues like reds and yellows sit on the left, making the fridge as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional.
