At a Glance: Office Pantry Benchmarks

The companies that are leading are building workplaces people want to show up for, and the pantry is continuing to be their secret weapon for success. The office pantry changes the day-to-day experience in ways that employees feel. It encourages natural breaks that reduce burnout, supports wellness goals with functional, nutrient-dense options, and offsets commuting costs in a way that feels like added compensation. Instead of asking employees to come back, it gives them a reason to want to.

Our Q2 data shows more leaders are leaning into this approach:

• The average company spent $70,035 in Q2, up 8.4% QoQ and 13% YoY
• The average office spent $25,934 in Q2, averaging $8,645/month
• The average office spend of $8,645/month in Q2, with more spend allocated in April and June. 

What it means: When employees benefit, employers benefit even more. The same things that make the pantry valuable to employees translate directly into stronger business outcomes:

• Better attendance: Employees are more willing to commute when they know the office supports their everyday routines mentally and financially. 
• Higher productivity: Fewer off-site coffee and snack runs mean more focused, uninterrupted work time.
• Stronger engagement: Break-time conversations and micro-moments build connection, sparking cross-functional collaboration and innovation. 
• Positive culture impact: Providing meaningful daily value earns goodwill, avoiding the resistance and bad PR of strict mandates.
• Increases real estate value: A pantry makes a workplace more attractive, increasing perceived asset value and giving companies more leverage in lease negotiations.

Where It's Happening: City Benchmarks

City-level spend patterns show how pantry programs are being used as a strategic lever to attract and retain talent in competitive markets. As industries consolidate back into key hubs, leaders are upgrading their office experiences to keep high-value employees engaged and onsite.

Core Cities Leading the Way:

The Bay Area is seeing renewed momentum, driven by the AI boom and fresh venture capital investment that’s bringing talent and companies back into the region. New York City is seeing a surge in financial services and fintech, while Chicago is the link between the two coasts.  

Fastest-Growing Markets: 

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• Miami

What it means: As industries consolidate back into key hubs, leaders are investing in office experiences not just to fill seats, but to secure top talent and protect the value of their real estate assets.

• The AI boom is intensifying the competition for specialized talent, with companies using pantries as part of a broader push to build best-in-class workspaces that attract and keep top engineers onsite. While this is most visible in the Bay Area, the same strategy is emerging in Los Angeles, Boston, Austin, and other fast-growing tech and fintech markets.
• At the same time, Class A and Trophy properties are driving the commercial real estate rebound, according to Reuters. In New York, where financial services and fintech workers are steadily returning, premium buildings are outperforming because tenants are willing to pay for quality and amenities that help lure talent back. 
• These aren’t just aesthetic upgrades. Companies are signing longer leases and paying higher rates for spaces that feel worth commuting to. Kitchen and pantry programs are becoming a key part of that premium package, helping buildings drive traffic, increase perceived asset value, and give tenants more leverage in lease negotiations if they choose to build that out.

Whether the goal is retaining high-impact talent or increasing long-term property value, Q2 makes one thing clear: the pantry has evolved into a strategic amenity, one that drives both people and property value in ways few other investments can.

Who's Driving the Shift: Industry Benchmarks

The most significant quarter-over-quarter growth came from Financial Services, Fintech, and Consumer Goods—the same sectors making the biggest bets on AI adoption.

• Financial services and fintech are aggressively hiring engineering and data science talent, with Forbes reporting that tech workers are moving into these sectors to capitalize on these opportunities.
• Consumer goods companies are also joining the AI race, with Bain and PYMNTS highlighting how major CPG brands are adopting generative AI to transform everything from supply chains to marketing.

What it means: The tech companies of the future aren’t just the ones creating technology; they’re the ones baking technology into the core of their business. Financial services, fintech, and consumer goods are investing heavily in AI to transform how they operate, and to do that, they need the same caliber of engineers, data scientists, and product specialists who once built their careers in Big Tech.

Attracting that talent means adopting and evolving the workplace playbook that once defined Silicon Valley. The new standard isn’t about over-the-top amenities like slushie machines; it’s about combining flexibility with thoughtful incentives that support daily routines. Today’s talent doesn’t want novelty for novelty’s sake; they want the local cold brew they rely on to get through their day, the protein bar that keeps them fueled between meetings, and consistent, high-quality options that feel like an extension of how they live outside of work.

Winning AI talent means investing in the workplace experience as strategically as you’re investing in the technology itself. The pantry isn’t just an amenity; it’s a competitive advantage.

How It Breaks Down: Category Insights

Going into Q2, several forces shaped how companies approached pantry spend. Tariffs were announced, intern season kicked off, and summer began–each bringing changing employee preferences and a need to align spend.

Category Allocation (% of total pantry spend):

• Snacks: 36%
• Beverages: 27%
• Perishables: 17%
• Coffee: 13%
• Supplies: 6%
• Alcohol: 1%

Top Subcategories (% of total pantry spend):

• Bars: 9%
• Chips & Crackers: 6%
• Still & Sparkling Water: 6%
• Sodas: 6%
• Cold Brew & Iced Coffee: 5%
• Pods & Capsule Coffee: 5%
• Produce: 5%

What it means: Q2 category trends highlight how workplaces are adapting pantry programs to seasonal behavior, economic pressures, and shifting workforce demographics:

1. Warmer Weather = Colder Drinks
   As warmer weather set in, sparkling water, cold brew, and pod coffee for iced coffee surged toward the end of the quarter. Favorites like Spindrift Lemon and Big Shoulders Nitro Cold Brew led the way as employees gravitated toward refreshing, low-effort hydration.
2. Snacks That Sustain Momentum
   As tariffs start to ripple through the supply chain, workplaces are leaning into functional products that sustain employees longer, maximizing value per dollar. Bars remained the top subcategory (9%), while Quest Protein Chips and gut-health sodas like Olipop gained traction as nutrient-dense, wellness-forward picks.
3. Interns Boost Consumption
   Intern season typically kicks off in late May, and their presence in the office results in increased consumption. Those with large volumes of interns tend to switch to cost-effective categories such as chips, sodas, bars, and still & sparkling waters to control their budgets and consumption spikes.
   

What’s Trending: Growth Areas That Signal a Shift

Q2 trends show how cultural shifts and changing consumer behaviors are reshaping what employees expect from workplace pantries. The rise of meal-like options, functional beverages, and power-packed indulgences reflects a shift toward products that feel purposeful and routine-friendly.

Top Growing Subcategories in Q1:

• Sodas (+150% YoY)

• Deli (+112% YoY)

• Still & Sparkling Water (+109% YoY)

• Dried Fruit & Nuts (+99% YoY)

• Yogurt & Cheeses (+97% YoY)

• Bars (+97% YoY)

Macro Trends (YoY Q1 Growth):

• Shifting away from chocolate: With cocoa prices climbing, we’re seeing brands experiment with chocolate alternatives like carob, seeds, and local honey. 
• Soda is on the rise: At the KeHE Summer Show, our team saw dozens of new soda brands leaning into gut health and Gen Z-friendly branding.
• The rise of collagen: F&B brands are banking on collagen, signaling demand for products that support healthy skin and joint health alongside daily energy.

What it means: The key to capitalizing on these trends is finding ways to optimize without compromising the experience you’ve already built. Your pantry should be designed to support your people, and your people are not all the same.

The smartest pantry programs incorporate them subtly and slowly, testing their impact before committing. You don't need to ditch the Diet Coke; people would riot. Instead, test out a few functional sodas and watch how your team responds. 

The real unlock is data. You need to understand what performs and what doesn’t so you can confidently shift budget away from underperforming products and toward high-impact upgrades. When you use consumption data to make those decisions, you can keep the pantry consistent and reliable while still evolving it to meet new employee expectations.

What’s Next: Evolving Your Pantry Strategy

It’s shaping how people experience work, how often they come in, and how long they stay. Companies that are competing for talent, especially those investing in AI, are rethinking how they provide value in their offices.

The pantry has proven to do more than just feed people; it drives outcomes. The path forward isn’t about chasing every trend or overhauling what works. The companies seeing the strongest returns are evolving strategically.

Three Takeaways for Leaders:

• Using data to guide decisions: Knowing exactly what performs lets you redirect budget away from underperforming products and toward high-impact upgrades.
• Balancing consistency with experimentation: The pantry should feel reliable first. Small, deliberate tests, such as adding a functional soda or collagen snack, let you keep pace with cultural shifts without disrupting routines.
• Designing for people, not just perks: Whether it’s providing meal-like options for employees staying onsite longer or ensuring your team's favorite sparkling water is always stocked, the best programs are built around real behaviors.

The modern pantry is one of the most effective tools for aligning business goals with employee expectations. When you treat it as infrastructure, not an afterthought, it stops being a perk and becomes a competitive advantage.