R+R Hub is helping employers to keep their on-site employees happy and healthy as well as safe from COVID19. It’s making sure on-site employees are able to eat well and safely even when canteens and off-site vendors are closed. This helps employees feel more comfortable at work and boosts productivity. Here is some brief information about what that means in practice.
COVID19 has changed office catering
Most offices have basic kitchenettes rather than full kitchens. These may be fine for reheating food brought from home (or local shops). They are not, however, intended for proper cooking.
Some offices have canteen facilities, but many office canteens have been forced to close due to COVID19. Many offices are located close to off-site vendors, but, again, many of these have also been forced to close their doors. Hopefully, these closures will only be temporary. That is, however, little comfort to people heading back to the office now.
People can’t just wait for canteens and food outlets to reopen. They need to eat now. They want to eat fresh, tasty, healthy food. Sometimes they want it hot and sometimes they want it cold. They also want decent on-site beverage facilities. R+R Hub is delivering all of this at a price employers can afford.
R+R Hub helped Specsavers see a way forward
Specsavers had an on-site canteen but were forced to close it due to COVID19. The management team knew that they needed to take care of their on-site employees. At the same time, they had concerns about committing to a major upgrade.
Like many companies, Specsavers is still in the process of working out what its return to work is going to look like. It, therefore, needed an affordable but effective short-term solution while it looked at its long-term options.
After extensive discussions with R+R Hub, Specsavers opted to install a vending machine and to have R+R Hub manage its existing WMF fresh milk coffee machine. R+R Hub has arranged for this to be supplied with local roastery beans from 200 degrees.
R+R Hub helped Futures deal with the present
Futures recently moved to a new office with limited off-site facilities. They needed a flexible solution, one that could start small but grow with the company if needed. This allowed them to provide amenities for their current on-site employees without making a major commitment.
We worked alongside their office designer to incorporate a micro market into their breakout space. Futures will trial this for 12 months. After that, they’ll decide whether they want to continue as they are or expand.
R+R Hub has solutions for all employers
Currently, many employers are facing essentially the same dilemma. On the one hand, they need and want to keep their current employees happy and healthy as well as safe. On the other hand, they want, and often need, to be careful about making significant financial commitments.
Vending machines and/or micro markets are often the perfect solution. These can be squeezed into the tiniest of spaces and require minimal staffing. Essentially, they just need to be refilled. This is a very simple and quick exercise. Modern vending machines take contactless payments so there’s no more fumbling for coins needed.
Traditionally, vending machines have been used to sell snacks and drinks. They can, in fact, be used to sell all kinds of food products including hot ones. Alternatively, you can use the vending machine to dispense cold products and have a microwave for heating them if the employee wishes.
Providing a well-stocked vending machine gives employees safe and convenient access to a variety of healthy foods. This helps protect both their physical and mental health. It also makes the office a more appealing place to be.
Emma Preece is the general manager at R+R Hub, a leading supplier of healthy food and micro market solutions to offices and businesses.
