How to Pick the Best Office Snacks

So, your manager asked you to pick out some snacks for the office breakroom. Whether your team is large or small, trying to choose things that’ll make everyone happy can be a daunting task.  How do you get started? Here are 5 steps to make sure you pick the best office snacks:

It doesn’t have to be long – three to five questions tops. In fact, the shorter, the more likely they’ll fill it out. Build out your questions with things like: 

• When it comes to snacking, what’s most important to you? (healthy options, local/sustainability, meal replacements, etc.)
• Select your top three snack choices.
• When are you most likely to take a snack break?

Where would we be without Google? We’d rather not think about it. Just like we ask Google how the weather is outside, this is a great way to see what the current trends are in the snack and drink world, and spark some ideas. Hey Google, can you help us out here?

If you’re trying to narrow down your office snack options, bring in samples of the items on the short list. Send an email to the whole team inviting them to an afternoon tasting. Not only will they be excited for the break, but when there’s free food involved, that’s a recipe for a good time. Plus, you’ll see firsthand which snacks they go for first.

Once you’ve made your list and checked it twice, now you have to decide between a DIY approach and outsourcing to the experts (like us). In other words, you can stock the breakroom by ordering from an online retailer or via a local grocery store, or if you don’t have time for that (because who does?), hire someone to do it for you.

Not sure where to start? Here are some things to look for in an office snack partner:

• Values – Sharing similar company goals can be an indicator for a positive long-term business relationship. Do some homework and read up on mission and value statements. Do your values align or match key points that are important to you?
• Variety – Not just an abundance of snacks, but a variety of services too. You may not want office coffee today, but what about in the long run? It’s always good to plan for the future and select a company that can help you get there.
• Established connections – Are they able to get what you need? Picking someone that has access to lots of products based on relationships with big brands and distributors is key. That way, when you ask for a specific snack bar or bag of chips, they can deliver.

Seasonality isn’t just for fashion. Your office snacks could use a little refresh from time to time as well to keep morale high and cravings satisfied. Here are two ways of going about this: 

• Send out another survey with a simple open-ended question – What snacks would you like to see in the breakroom?
• Place a suggestions box by the snack setup so your co-workers can give feedback whenever inspiration strikes them.

There’s obviously a big difference between picking random offerings, and choosing the best snacks for your office. Now, go forth and conquer – make your boss proud and your co-workers snack happy!