Blue Sky Supply

Tulsa Refreshments | Office Essentials | Break Room Trends

3 Break Room Essentials for Tulsa Workplaces

April 12, 2023January 26, 2023 by Katie Waxman

The right service partner provides the best break room essentials. Thus, your Tulsa break room will be fully stocked with everything your team needs. From coffee to the latest creamers, Blue Sky Supply can transform your ordinary break room into an employee oasis.

Need more convincing? Here are three reasons why our services are break room must-haves.

1. Fresh, Flavorful Office Coffee

A top-shelf Tulsa office coffee service is a break room necessity. For starters, caffeine energizes sluggish workers. This improves focus and concentration levels. Employees suffering a midday slump can get an instant energy boost. Additionally, employee perks, like coffee, boost office morale. Employees are more motivated and may work harder. They are more likely to stick around, which can increase retention rates.

At Blue Sky Supply, we are proud to offer a variety of office coffee solutions. For instance, we have traditional and single-cup brewers. Traditional brewers make coffee by the pot. They’re great for offices with large coffee consumption. On the other hand, single-cup brewers make coffee by the pod. Users can customize their favorite flavors. Furthermore, the coffee is always made fresh.

2. Single-Serve Options

Offices are bustling with activity. Employees are always on the move. As such, your break room needs to have grab-and-go options. Cold drinks and packaged snacks make it convenient—and easy—for employees to stay fueled.

Tulsa vending machines make it simple for busy employees to nourish their bodies. Firstly, vending machines are always open. Employees have 24/7 access to food and cold beverages. At Blue Sky Supply, we carry many popular brands, including Dr Pepper, Vitamin Water, and Lay’s. Your staff can always get their favorite flavors.

Additionally, snacking has become more ubiquitous in offices. Oftentimes, employees will replace meals with snacks. Therefore, you should offer a greater number of options. A Tulsa micro-market will do the trick! These self-serve mini-stores hold many foods and drinks, including healthy meals. For instance, fresh wraps and salads are available in the glass-front coolers. Best of all, everything is packaged for one. This makes it easier to eat better.

3. Break Room Essentials Include Stellar Service

Lastly, your break room needs continuous servicing. Tulsa coffee products and grab-and-go foods are great. But what happens if something breaks? That’s where Blue Sky Supply rides in to save the day. Our dependable technicians are on hand if you have any issues. We strive to deliver timely and effective solutions.

Furthermore, we’ll keep your vending machines or micro-market fully stocked. You have the benefit of refreshments for your team without time-consuming inventory or trips to the store. We’ll keep a close eye on your inventory levels and restock when needed.

Blue Sky Supply Has All of Your Break Room Essentials

Need fresh office coffee? How about single-serve snacks? Blue Sky Supply provides all of these and more. Plus, we back our products up with superior services. Whether you need micro-market or vending solutions, we can help.

To learn more, call us today at (918) 599-9100. We have all of your break room essentials!

Tulsa Snack Options | Vending Service | Break Room Solutions

How Rotating Your Tulsa Break Room Snack Options Benefits Employees

April 8, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Variety is the spice of life. This certainly applies to food. In fact, a meal or snack that includes a variety of foods has been shown to lower the risk of malnutrition. Diverse food choices also increase happiness and heighten the snacking experience.

To promote wellness in the workplace and boost employee satisfaction, Tulsa businesses should offer their staff a variety of healthy snack and refreshment options.

Here’s how diverse vending machine options can benefit your workplace culture.

Employees Crave Snack Options

Stocking your Tulsa micro-market and vending machines with new and trendy products will stir-up excitement. Employees are turning to their office break room to discover new snack brands.

To encourage your staff to revisit office vending machines throughout the workday, offer them more than the popular products they already love. Consider healthier options such as granola bars, nuts, and low-calorie chips. Premium teas and specialty coffee drinks are also sure to be a big hit.

The element of surprise in your break room product selection will keep employees engaged and curious.

Promote Wellness

Having Tulsa vending machines that are full of diverse snack and beverage options can help employees healthy and energized. Healthy snacks with high nutritional values can promote workplace wellness. Moreover, healthy employees are more productive, have more energy, and able to efficiently tackle their to-do lists.

Consider offering employees gluten-free or vegan-friendly snacks. They will appreciate the variety of healthy options available to them.

Fresh, Local Coffee

There’s nothing better than a fresh cup of high-quality coffee first thing in the morning. Make the switch from ground coffee to bean-to-cup machines. Tulsa businesses that offer fresh, organic coffee allow employees to enjoy workplace culture more. Additionally, your staff will appreciate that their coffee came from a local and sustainable source and feel instantly energized!

Single-cup coffee machines are eco-friendly and guilt-free. These break room beverage options give your staff the best of both worlds!

Employees Love Specialty Drink Options

In addition to fresh coffee, offices should offer employees a variety of coffee alternatives. Transform your Tulsa break room into a café by allowing employees to enjoy teas, lattes, cappuccinos, and more.

There’s also numerous coffee alternatives can elevate the workplace break room experience and promote employee satisfaction.

If an employee prefers cold beverages, be sure to provide that choice too! Healthy juices, refreshing sparkling waters, and yummy teas all make excellent options.

Offer Your Employees More Snack Variety

Blue Sky Supply is the prime choice when it comes to offering diverse snack options in the break room. Enhance your employees’ break room experiences by stocking your break room with a variety of brand selections.

To learn how our team can diversify your workplace vending machine options, visit us at Blue Sky Supply or call (918) 599-9100. We look forward to partnering with you!

Tulsa Break Rooms | Healthy | Micro-market | Workplace Culture

4 Ways Break Rooms Can Become an Essential Part of Tulsa Workplace Culture

March 11, 2021 by Katie Waxman

When you think of workplace culture in Tulsa, multiple things come to mind, perhaps employee perks, integrated leadership, and a shared system of values. What you may not think about is your break room services. But break rooms do more than offer your employees a place to eat lunch. With the right amenities, the break room becomes an essential part of your workplace culture.

Break Rooms Encourage Breaks

Many employees don’t take daily lunch breaks. They believe management will think they’re not hard workers and that coworkers will judge them. When employees don’t take breaks, their health and wellness suffer.

Encourage employees to take breaks by providing a variety of healthy snacks and meals through micro-markets and vending services. By providing snacks and foods your employees want to eat, they’ll be more likely to act on the opportunity.

Break Rooms Increase Engagement

When employees do take breaks, productivity and engagement metrics improve. Team members feel refreshed and rejuvenated and are less likely to get stuck in an afternoon slump. They also report higher job satisfaction and are more likely to recommend their employer to friends and family in Tulsa.

Increase the likelihood of employees taking breaks by providing incentives, such as free snacks or office coffee service. Holding a “break challenge,” where employees must record at least one break a day, adds to workplace culture and creates a healthy office competition.

Break Rooms Make Employees Feel Valued

A well-stocked and comfortable break room makes employees feel valued and increases the sense of community. When break rooms are designed for comfort and relaxation, they become a gathering place of team members from different departments, allowing employees to interact with staff they don’t normally see.

Inspire this sense of community by adding comfortable furniture, such as a loveseat or plush chairs. Encourage your management team to lead by example and use the break room. This can bridge the gap between executives and staff, creating a stronger workplace culture.

Break Rooms Support Corporate Wellness Goals

Healthy living is important, both to your employees and your company’s wellness goals. Use a vending service to fill your break room with nutritious and healthy snacks. Micro-markets offer healthy meals, which allow team members to forego fast food, and instead grab a few minutes of downtime during breaks.

When your employees adopt healthy habits, such as utilizing their breaks and eating healthy, they have a significant decrease in stress. This decrease improves their health and wellness and works to avoid workplace burnout.

Need Healthy Break Room Snacks in Tulsa?

If you’re looking for vending services in Tulsa, look no further than Blue Sky Supply, the local leader in break room services. We offer a range of services to meet your needs, from office coffee services to micro-markets. Call (918) 599-9100 today to learn more!

Tulsa Break Room Additions

February 25, 2021February 15, 2021 by Katie Waxman

Great-tasting food, cold drinks, and coffee are a must in any break room. But, did you know that there are several other things that every Tulsa break room should have?

Adding some or all of the following categories can turn a bare-bones space into a break room that your employees will want to visit daily.

The Not-so-Extra Extras

Paper Products

Basic supplies such as napkins, paper towels, eating utensils, and plates, bowls, and cups should be offered and easy to find. After visiting the micro-market for lunch or the vending machine for an afternoon snack, employees shouldn’t have to go on a hunt to find a fork or knife or a napkin.

More Break Room Flavor

Almost everyone adds some type of additional seasoning to their food. For snacks or meals, that often means salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, mayo, or hot sauce. The key is to offer the condiments that go best with your break room’s menu.

Coffee Station

Unless your Tulsa employees only drink their coffee black, a variety of coffee additions should be available. Common options include sugar, artificial sweeteners, alternative sweeteners like honey, creamer and non-dairy creamer options, and flavorings. Paper products such as stir sticks, cups, lids, and coffee sleeves will make sure everyone has what they need.

The Break Room Space

A break room should not only be a separate space from the rest of the workplace, but it should also feel different. Let’s look at two important components.

Seating

Offer multiple types of seating that encourage conversation, a coffee or meal break, or a few minutes of relaxation. That might include different areas with sofas, tables and chairs, booths or even a rocking chair or two. And don’t forget to offer easily accessible outlets or charging stations.

Break Room Décor

Lack of color or bland colors have been shown to make people feel sad or gloomy, and that is especially true at work where access to the outdoors can be limited. Yellows evoke friendliness and cheer while blues and greens create a sense of peace and tranquility. One word of caution; before running to the paint store, remember that colors affect people differently.

To make your break room more appealing and relaxing, add natural lighting and décor such as plants, wood, or water. Plants are especially functional as they help clean the office air too.

Small additions or changes in your Tulsa break room can make a big difference. But you don’t have to do it alone. We can help. For more information about our vending services or to update your current space or menu, please call Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100.

Tulsa Discovers Hot Tea

February 25, 2021January 15, 2021 by Katie Waxman

January is National Hot Tea Month. Can your employees find their favorite teas in the break room? If the answer is no, you’ve just discovered a new opportunity to encourage employees to stay on-site during the workday.

Today’s office coffee service (OCS) is about more than coffee. It’s about creating an experience that improves workplace culture and productivity. With four out of five consumers and more than three-quarters of Millennials drinking tea, there is a strong need for great tasting hot tea at work.

A mug of hot tea is more than a cup that holds a drink. It offers diverse flavors, health benefits, and soothing qualities.

Hot Tea Menu

While most of the tea consumed is black tea followed by green, oolong, white, and dark teas, your OCS menu can be simpler. A variety of high-quality teas including at least one green, one black, and two to three herbal teas should be able to meet the tastes of everyone who visits the break room. Tea specific sweeteners like honey packets or honey bears and additives such as citrus, cinnamon, honey, and milk or non-dairy milk should be offered.

Health Benefits

Tea also has many health benefits. Antioxidants help reduce the risk of cancer. Caffeine supplies an energy boost which can also help combat obesity. And an increase in blood flow is good for cardiovascular health. In a month when the world focuses on healthier choices, drinking more tea is a small change that can make a big difference.

A Relaxing Moment

There is something pleasant and relaxing about looking forward to a favorite flavor and a moment of stillness. As with coffee, a hot mug of tea presents employees with a minute or two of stress relief. Tulsa employees who experience less stress are more productive and approach everything with a more positive attitude.

As drinking tea grows in popularity; it is important to update your Tulsa break room refreshment menu to meet the demand. Not only will your employees enjoy the benefits of drinking their favorite hot beverage, but they will also be more likely to turn to the break room for healthy snacks and beverages.

For more information about updating your OCS or other vending services, please call Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100.

Break Room Visits Help Tulsa Employees

February 25, 2021December 18, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Your Tulsa break room has potential. It doesn’t have to be a place that employees avoid or use sporadically. Instead, employees should be able to find a relaxing space with vending machines or a micro-market that offers delicious lunch options.

While breakfast is referred to as the most important meal of the day, lunch plays a crucial role in making the afternoon a success. Unfortunately, the lunch break is disappearing.

But isn’t this dedication to one’s career or job good for business? No. In fact, the opposite may be true. Rather than focusing on eating, many employees feel they need to do something more meaningful. They also feel guilty for not always being available.

Even employees who are working from home because of COVID-19 need a break too. Spending too much time at a desk without taking a break can decrease productivity and hurt the bottom line.

Creativity and Community

Everyone, including Tulsa employees, needs a change of scenery every now and then. Creative thinking and new ideas are more likely to occur after taking a break or moving to a new workspace. Going outside for a walk or sitting in the sun help solutions to form.

Studies also suggest that taking time off in the middle of the day, whether to eat, walk or take a coffee break with coworkers, creates a community culture within the workplace and happier, more productive employees.

Rejuvenate your Break Room

Although a walk outside can be beneficial, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing, especially when a short break becomes an extended time away from the office. To create a sense of community and a pleasant place to go when getting away from the office isn’t ideal, create a better break space.

Offer quality coffee service (a high-value benefit at a lower cost) and healthy snacks and beverages. For a bonus, consider offering micro-market or vending options for free or at a reduced cost.
If possible, bring some of the outdoors inside with potted plants, oversized windows, or natural scenery wall murals.

Regardless of how you encourage your employees to get away from their desks, it’s essential that you do it. Whether it’s lunch out, a walk around the block, or a foosball tournament in your break room, your Tulsa employees will appreciate it.

To learn more about updating your break room or adding office coffee service, vending machines, or a micro-market, contact Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100. We look forward to hearing from you.

Green Tea Versus Coffee in Tulsa

February 26, 2021November 16, 2020 by Katie Waxman

Which is better—coffee or green tea? While everyone has an opinion, there is no right or wrong answer. Both beverages are part of any office coffee service and offer a multitude of varieties and flavors and health benefits for Tulsa employees. A popular benefit of both drinks is the energy boost that comes from caffeine. Traditionally brewed coffee has about 96 mg of caffeine in one 8-oz cup, while green tea has between 20 mg to 45 mg per 8-oz cup.

It’s Good for Your Health

Benefits of ingesting caffeine, whether in coffee or tea, include an increase in energy levels and a decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. While coffee offers almost double the amount of caffeine, green tea offers other significant benefits from higher levels of flavanols, an important micronutrient, catechins, a natural antioxidant, and L-theanine, an amino acid.

For example, the combination of caffeine and L-theanine in green tea results in improved brain function, or stronger working memory, better attention levels, and less anxiety. Other benefits of drinking green tea include an increase in bone strength and health, improved condition of one’s skin from improved moisture retention to anti-aging, and a reduction in heart disease risk factors, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

It’s Time to Enjoy

With the ongoing stress of 2020, enjoying a beverage that offers all those health benefits is a good idea. Let’s look at four things that can help Tulsa employees create a delicious mug of green tea in the break room.

Know Your Tea

As with almost everything, it’s hard to create a great result if you don’t know your ingredients. Most green tea originates in China and Japan. The Chinese variety usually has a smokier flavor because the tea leaves are roasted, while the Japanese variety has a sweeter taste because the leaves are steamed.

Making the Tea

Green tea leaves are sensitive to heat. When prepared with water that is too hot, the leaves can burn. If the leaves are steeped for too long, the leaves can burn. Both scenarios result in a bitter flavor. To prevent burning, steep the leaves for no more than two minutes and don’t use water that is too hot.

Add Flavors

Whether the goal is to mellow the natural flavor or create a new flavor combination, many options are available. Some popular additions include lemon slices, honey, fresh ginger (use sparingly—ginger can overwhelm quickly), peppermint leaves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg, and citrus peels.

Infuse with Fruit

Fresh and dried fruit can also be added to provide additional flavor and sweetness. Fresh apples or berries are a great option as they are readily available and are also high in flavanols. Dried fruit such as mango, pineapple, peach, and papaya are also good as they mellow out the bitterness.

As the number of tea options available grows, it is essential to modify your Tulsa break room refreshment menu to meet the demand. Not only will your employees enjoy the benefits of drinking a delicious beverage, but they will also be more likely to visit the break room when they want fresh food or a snack. For more information about improving your refreshment services, including office coffee service, vending machines, or micro-market, call Blue Sky Supply today at (918) 599-9100.

Shifting Vending Machine Shopping Habits in Tulsa

October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 by Katie Waxman

What was the last pre-COVID item you purchased from a vending machine? Would your choice change if you were to purchase something today? If it would, you aren’t alone. A recent survey performed by Shorr Packaging revealed insights about how U.S. consumers’ purchasing behavior has shifted since the onset of the pandemic.

In addition to traditional food shopping locations, Tulsa employers should also be aware of these shifts as they can also impact how and what employees purchase from break rooms. Even though employers don’t have control over how companies package or label their products, they do have control over which products are offered in break room vending machines. Regularly analyzing purchasing patterns and comparing them to the current break room refreshment menu provides exact data that can be used to create an inviting and engaging break room and keep employees on-site when they need something to eat or drink.

Let’s look at two areas of the survey that are relevant to the break room — COVID related changes and food labels and packaging.

COVID-19 Related Changes

For good or for bad, the pandemic has changed the way Tulsa consumers shop. During the three months prior to the survey being completed, 61 percent of participants agreed that pandemic-related purchasing shifts will change how they shop in the future with 66 percent of those individuals saying they would pay more attention to product labels and packaging.

Survey participants aren’t only paying more attention to packaging and labels; they are changing the products that they buy. For example, over three quarters of those who purchased brands they were unfamiliar with said they would purchase that brand/item again.

Food Labels and Packaging

So, what do consumers look for when choosing a product? Of the different parts on packaging, the ingredient list is considered the most trustworthy followed by the brand or logo, the price, and popular phrases such as fresh, no sugar added, all-natural, whole grain/multigrain, organic, and good source of fiber.

While almost two-thirds of participants were willing to pay more for a snack or beverage with popular labeling phrases, the remaining one-third consciously chose not to purchase items with the same phrases. The key takeaway is to make sure that any vending machine refreshment menu includes options that appeal to everyone.

Blue Sky Supply offers Tulsa businesses the opportunity to do just that. We offer a variety of traditional and healthy snacks, cold beverages, and fresh food choices and can customize a vending refreshment menu to fit both your and your employees’ needs. For more information about all our break room services including office coffee service, please give us a call at (918) 599-9100.

Vending Machines in Tulsa Keep Adapting

September 29, 2020September 15, 2020 by Katie Waxman

2020 has brought about many unforeseen changes, especially in Tulsa break rooms. Whether a break room offered vending machines or a micro-market, refreshment providers have had to adapt. This isn’t, however, the first time that break room equipment has been modified to meet a new need. Since the very first vending machine was developed, individuals have continued to use them to solve a variety of different problems.

Vending Machine History

The concept of a vending machine has been around for a lot longer than most Tulsa residents realize. In fact, the first vending machine was said to have been written about by the mathematician Hero in 215 BC in Ancient Egypt. In this machine, the user placed a coin in the machine and received holy water; a job previously performed by an individual. Here are several important changes that have helped make the vending machine what it is today include:

1888: Tutti-Frutti gum vending machines were installed in a New York City subway station.
1946: The first coffee vending machine was invented.
1950: Refrigerated sandwich vending machines expanded the lunch menu.
1950s – 1970s: located in U.S. airports, vending machines sold life insurance policies covering death, should the buyer’s flight crash.
1961: Canned soft drink vending machines offered customers new beverage options.
1972: Glass-front snack machines were introduced.
1985: Credit/debit card payment devices were introduced.
1987: Frozen food vending machines were introduced.
1991: Flavored coffees, espresso, and cappuccino were introduced in coffee machines.

Today

In the 150+ years since the first fully automatic vending machine was invented, a wide range of products, from practical to crazy, have been sold. In 2020, non-edible options including personal protection equipment (PPE) can be found. The following organizations highlight how vending machines can be converted to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

New Jersey Transit (NJT) has installed vending machines in handful of stations that sell PPE such as face masks, hand sanitizer, sanitized wipes, and disposable gloves to the public. Kevin Corbett, CEO & President of NJ Transit, explained, “We want our customers to trust that we have prepared the safest and cleanest transit system possible for their return and will continue to work hard every day to keep it that way.”

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has developed a similar program. Located throughout the campus, vending machines offer masks, hand sanitizer and other protective products at no cost to the students or university employees. The university tracks “purchases” via the school’s id card system, ensuring that everyone can only make one purchase per product per month.

As with the new machines at VCU and NJT, vending machines in Tulsa break rooms offer several benefits for employees. Employers can create a customized menu that includes the snacks, beverages, and fresh food their employees want. Not only are a variety of payment options available, including cash, credit/debit cards and mobile payment apps, but employers can also cover part or all the costs for their employees. In addition, break room vending machines can encourage employees to stay on-site when they need something to eat or drink, reducing person to person contact and the likelihood of coming into contact with COVID-19.

Is your Tulsa break room ready to safely offer sought-after refreshment options? We are here to help you create an inviting and welcoming space that also safely delivers everyone’s favorite snacks, cold beverages, fresh food, and coffee. For more information, please call Blue Sky Supply at (918) 599-9100.

Adapt 2020 Coffee Trends to Benefit Tulsa

August 17, 2020 by Katie Waxman

COVID-19 may have disrupted almost all aspects of life, but it hasn’t stopped Tulsa individuals from enjoying their daily coffee. In fact, consumption has increased during the past several months. One thing that is different is that many individuals are purchasing their caffeinated beverages online or via a mobile app while trips to the local cafe have dramatically decreased.

As Tulsa employees head back to work, not considering or adapting your office coffee service (OCS) is a missed opportunity to rebuild your workplace community, boost morale, and increase productivity. Why is that you ask? The short answer is that the majority of adults in American drink coffee and all its related beverages each day, and yet only 63 percent of employees who work outside of their home have access to coffee at work.

According to the recently released 2020 National Coffee Data Trends (NCDT) Report, 62 percent of Americans 18 and older drink coffee daily, up five percent from 2015, and the average number of cups consumed by each individual is 3.1 cups—that’s almost 25 ounces per day. But the number of employers who offer OCS in the break room has decreased by five percent compared to 2019.

To compete with off-site menus that offer a wide variety of options which can be ordered via an app or delivered directly to an employee by a food delivery service, facility managers should understand 2020 coffee trends. (One caveat—while these numbers were collected before COVID-19 changed how and where Tulsa employees work, the results can still be used to help plan for post-COVID break room services.)

56 percent consume gourmet coffee or beverages that are brewed from premium beans
53 percent looked for brands that are focused on sustainable farming and Fair Trade practices
40 percent of individuals add milk/creamer (any type) plus a sweetener
20 percent prefer their coffee black
Four percent use alternative milks such as soy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk etc.
Demand for espresso-based beverages including cappuccino, latte, frozen blended, espresso, mocha, macchiato, Americano, and flat white continues to grow

In addition to what Americans want to drink, it is also important to consider what types of beverages each generation prefers especially if your organization employs a variety of individuals. Espresso-based beverages are preferred by 27.5 percent of Americans under the age of 40, while those aged 60+ prefer traditional, non-gourmet coffee. Consumption of coffee was also found to increase as individuals aged. For example, consumption is up 40 percent since 2015 among drinkers age 18 – 24. Whether that is a change in lifestyle or just a desire for more, it’s something to be aware of.

Now’s the time to reassess your OCS and other break room refreshment options. Blue Sky Supply can help by creating a customized menu and safely providing your Tulsa employees fresh food, snacks and beverages via a micro-market or vending machines. For more information about our refreshment services, please contact us at (918) 599-9100. We look forward to helping support your organization.