Author: Katie Waxman

Did you know that the United States imported 19.2 percent or the largest amount of coffee of all of the countries that imported coffee in 2017? That’s almost double the amount imported by the next country on the list (10.7 percent by Germany). Given the large amount imported, and the fact that Orlando and Central Florida production of coffee is very small, the majority of the coffee consumed in the U.S. is grown overseas.

Why is this important?

Because in many locations around the world, the amount of land used for growing coffee plants is expanding and causing increased deforestation which contributes to erosion, water pollution, the spread of pests and diseases, and the disruption of local micro-climates. But it doesn’t have to be this way, and a number of the world’s leading coffee companies are blazing a new trail in Indonesia’s Bukit Barisan Selatan (BBS) National Park.

The BBS National Park, a protected area, is home to Sumatran tigers, rhinos, and elephants, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rainforest is also home to coffee production with 26,000 tons of robusta coffee beans (15 percent of the world’s robusta beans) coming from within the park each year. Recently, those corporations as well as Indonesia’s BBS National Park, the Indonesian government, and local farmers agreed to and signed a Collective Statement of Intent that aims to stop deforestation, protect the habitat for wildlife while supporting economic development.

Why robusta beans?

Robusta beans are important because they account for 40 percent of global coffee production. They have several unique benefits including:

• grow at sea level, are a hardy plant, less susceptible to disease/insects, and easier to care for   
• require low production costs and produce more finished product per acre  
• contain almost double the caffeine content compared to arabica which creates a strong,  full-bodied beverage with a distinctive, earthy, and bitter flavor
• contain more antioxidants, almost 60 percent fewer lipids, and almost half the concentration of sugars than arabica
• have lower levels of acidity
• used primarily in instant espresso and as a filler in ground coffee blends

Don’t be frightened away from coffee made with robusta beans because of the natural bitterness and earthy flavor. A high-end specialty robusta can taste just as good as or better than a low-end arabica. And don’t forget that robusta contains more antioxidants and caffeine, both of which offer multiple health benefits for your Orlando and Central Florida employees.

Whether your Orlando and Central Florida organization would like to add coffee service to your office break room or just enjoy a few different coffee flavors, The Vending Station can help. Not only do we offer a variety of coffees and teas, but we also offer vending services including micro-markets, healthy vending, and pantry service. For more information about any of our vending services, call The Vending Station at (407) 891.7632. We look forward to hearing from you.

What is a relatively easy way to improve productivity at your Orlando and Central Florida office? The answer is to provide your employees with a higher-quality coffee service in the office break room. A generic bean brewed in a traditional pot that sits all day is no longer an acceptable option. Today’s employees expect up-to-date brewing technology that creates beverages such as lattes and cold brew as well as a simple cup of coffee that can compete with their regular out-of-the-office purchase.

The Current Situation

This isn’t to say that Orlando and Central Florida employees don’t drink caffeinated beverages brewed at work. According to a recent study by Packaged Facts, “68 percent of at-work coffee drinkers usually drink coffee made or dispensed onsite at their workplace.” David Sprinkle, research director for Packaged Facts,  recently wrote, “Office coffee is a thriving industry that’s expected to continue to see sales growth [grow] through 2021. Among the market’s key growth factors is the increasing realization that companies need to provide higher-quality coffee…Not only will great coffee keep employees onsite at work, but it could also provide extra incentive to get to the office in the first place.”

The Challenge

Orlando and Central Florida employers need to determine how at-work options can be improved and turned into a sought after employee perk. Great coffee might also retain employees in a competitive job market. Currently, there is a wide gap between what employees look for and what they find in the office break room. Quality beans and flavors seem to be missing from their workplace options. Employee satisfaction with the types of roast (dark, light, etc.) and selection/variety are also low.

The Solution

To learn how to overcome those challenges, it is important to understand how current trends are impacting employers. Trends that are causing change in today’s market include generational differences, the super-premium bean trend that offers exotic and unique flavors, coffee type and variety expansion, brewer variety and versatility expansion, product and services expansion, technology applications, and industry consolidation.

Orlando and Central Florida employers then need to consider the impact of employee time spent away from the office to purchase a cup of joe against lost productivity. Research by Packaged Facts found that “when office coffee service is successfully integrated as a productivity tool it often translates to growing a company’s bottom line.” Happy, caffeinated employees plus an improved bottom-line sounds like a win for everyone.

While there are many different solutions that can create a sought-after experience, one suggestion to consider is to start by offering two distinct roasts—one dark and one light. Many are happy to choose one or the other as long as the flavor is high-quality. Over time, a larger product assortment can be included to meet and exceed employee expectations. Whether your office break room needs a full coffee service overhaul or just a few new high-quality varieties, The Vending Station can help. Contact us at (407) 891.7632 for more information about our coffee service as well as other vending solutions.

Coffee’s reputation has changed.

The Orlando and Central Florida beverage is no longer seen as harmful and damaging to your health. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined, after reviewing 1000 previously completed studies, that coffee cannot be classified as a cause of cancer anymore.

Now, there is one more reason to add to the list of why it is beneficial. Recent research performed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that “people with colorectal cancer (CRC) who drank at least four cups of coffee per day after their diagnosis had a significantly lower risk of early death – from either their cancer or any cause – than those who didn’t drink coffee.”

Let’s take a look at five other reasons why the hot, caffeinated beverage is more than just an energy boost.

• decreases the likelihood of developing heart disease, lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes, fights depression, decreases the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease, and helps your liver;
• reduces the chance of developing dementia or cognitive impairment in women 65-80 (2 to 3 cups per day);
• can decrease pain sensitivity in those with chronic pain;
• reduces the risk of developing oral, pharynx, liver, prostate, and endometrial cancer, and melanoma;
• increases the chance of living longer when compared to non-coffee drinkers (3 cups per day).
  

Those are some spectacular benefits. Fortunately, there is an easy way to make sure that your Orlando and Central Florida employees have access this great protector while at work—offer coffee service in the office breakroom. When developing specialty coffee service, consider the following:

• brewing systems: single-cup brewer, pour-over brewer, automatic brewer, or bean-to-cup brewer
• beans (source and roasting process): locally roasted, national brands (value & specialty), and espresso
• cream & sugar trends: dairy and non-dairy creamers, and sweeteners
• other beverage options: hot tea, hot chocolate, and water filtration

And don’t forget to offer your Orlando and Central Florida employees healthy snacks and beverages to enjoy with their favorite cup of joe. Whether it’s combining coffee service with pantry service or a micro-market, The Vending Station can help. Contact us at (407) 891.7632 for more information.

It looks like hot tea is at it again! Researchers have discovered another reason why enjoying a hot cup of tea is beneficial for your Orlando and Central Florida employees’ health.

A recent study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology  examined the beverage preferences of 1,600 individuals and their likelihood of developing glaucoma. Researchers found a direct relationship between consuming hot tea daily and a reduced risk of developing glaucoma (compared to those who did not consume hot tea). Drinking at least one cup of hot tea per day decreased the odds of developing glaucoma by 74 percent.

​What is Glaucoma?

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, glaucoma is a disease that occurs when unwanted fluid collects in the front part of the eye and damages the optic nerve often causing blindness in those over 60 years of age. Catching it early, however, can reduce its severity.

Researchers know that “tea contains phytochemicals and flavonoids, which have been observed to have anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties” and that those antioxidant properties “may play a protective role in glaucoma.” But glaucoma isn’t the only health problem that can be positively impacted by drinking hot tea regularly. Other benefits of consuming hot tea include:

• Lowered LDL or “bad” cholesterol;
• Reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, and death from cardiovascular disease;
• Decreased risk of certain cancers and neurological decline;
• Improved muscle mass and increased bone mineral density, which helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis; and
• Increased exercise endurance, focus, energy levels, and memory.

Consider the positive impact that these benefits could have on your Orlando and Central Florida employees. In addition to improved focus, mental clarity, concentration, and higher energy levels, healthy employees are likely to have increased morale, productivity, and fewer sick days. There is a definitive connection between employee health and a business’ bottom line. When an organization has healthy employees, that organization is likely to have a financial advantage in its industry.

To make sure Orlando and Central Florida employees have access to hot tea as well as coffee and snack options onsite, consider providing coffee service, bottled water, and healthy snacks in your office breakroom. Whether you prefer to use vending machines, pantry service, or a micro-market, The Vending Station can help develop a customized plan that will meet your needs. Contact us at (407) 891.7632 to learn more.

Reference

Wu, C.M., Wu, A.M., Tseng, V.L., Yu, F., & Coleman, A.L. (14 December 2017). Frequency of a diagnosis of glaucoma in individuals who consume coffee, tea and/or soft drinks. British Journal of Ophthalmology. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-310924

It’s only March, and 2018 food trends have made their way into the Orlando and Central Florida’s office coffee service. New flavors, unique plant-based ingredients, and eye-catching colors are creating a healthier, tastier, and more visually intriguing experience.

Color

Just as with food, eye-catching color in coffee is being sourced from natural ingredients. For example, charcoal, the key ingredient in goth food such as pizza and ice cream, can be also be used to create goth coffee. But gray isn’t the only new coffee color you’ll find.

Vegetables such as beets and sweet potatoes provide natural red/purple and orange-ish dyes. In fact, pink, green, and purple gourmet coffee has already been seen. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for latte art. A rainbow of colors is used to create beautiful designs in the latte’s foam. It’s beautiful and tastes great.

Healthier Choices

The move toward including plant-based ingredients, alternative sweeteners, and  antioxidant-rich botanicals in one’s coffee is upping the potential for coffee’s health benefits. Chicory, green coffee extract, or moringa is replacing some of the caffeine in coffee creating a beverage that offers a more moderate energy boost. Other trending botanical ingredients include turmeric (an anti-inflammatory), mushrooms, and hibiscus/floral infusions.

Including better-for-you sweeteners such as maple syrup and raw honey in your coffee service not only offers new flavors but also provides alternative sweeteners that offer a variety of health benefits. Maple syrup provides antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals; is low on the Glycemic index; and has anti-inflammatory properties while honey is a natural energy source, cough syrup, and has beneficial antioxidants.

New Flavors

2018 food trends will see new flavors such as cracked pepper, figs, pistachios, and east meets west flavor combinations. In demand flavors to enjoy with coffee or tea are quite different. Orlando and Central Florida consumers are looking for fresh, less processed techniques and flavors when it comes to their coffee service. In other words, coffee should be more nutritious and have a smoother and less bitter taste.

Better-for-you-fats such as coconut oil or grass-fed butter are believed to provide sought after health benefits such as brain function support when mixed with hot coffee. Fresh and less processed also remain at the forefront of new flavors. Nut and seed milks, raw honey, raw cacao, and other natural flavors combined with coffee or tea create a more natural and nutritious beverage.  

Whether your Orlando and Central Florida employees are looking for 2018’s new flavors in their snacks or in their coffee, consider including a micro-market and coffee service in the office break room. It’s quick, easy, and potentially available to your employees at a zero or reduced cost. To add a variety of snack, food, and beverage flavors to your Orlando and Central Florida office break room, call The Vending Station at (407) 891.7632.

Office coffee service is often considered a separate service when it comes to the office break room, but it doesn’t have to be. For a moment, ponder what it would be like to mesh coffee service with a micro-market. On their own, micro-markets and coffee service offer distinct benefits, but when they are blended together in the Orlando and Central Florida office break room, they create a unique employee perk. Employees now have a relaxed on-site spot to grab a gourmet coffee beverage and a snack or meal.

This is even more important as recent research has found that the best time to enjoy a cup of coffee is either mid-morning or early afternoon, not first thing after waking. A simplified explanation is that the human body produces more cortisol at waking. Coffee, or caffeine, increases those cortisol levels even more. When the caffeine and cortisol wear off, an intense drop in energy occurs. Consuming coffee when cortisol levels are low, mid-morning or early afternoon, creates a bigger energy boost than when they were high. That sounds like a bonus for both Orlando and Central Florida employees and employers.

To effectively blend coffee service and micro-markets together, it is important to consider several aspects of coffee service, and how each aspect can help integrate coffee with the micro-market.

Coffee Brewers

• choose brewers that make freshly made gourmet beverages; bean-to-cup or single-cup brewers are the current favorites
• consider brewers with touchscreens that have the ability to create specialty drinks, including espresso
• discover which coffee brewer brands are most sought after in your area—yes, brands matter even with coffee brewers

Coffee Beans

• offer a wide range of coffee beans; consider a selection of local and national brands
• discover which coffee brands are well known and liked by your Orlando and Central Florida employees
• make sure that the perception of the coffee brands matches the perception of the micro-market—both should be high-end

Other Factors   

• place the coffee service near popular foods and snacks that go well with coffee—whether it is a breakfast item or an afternoon treat, Orlando and Central Florida employees are more likely to make a spur of the moment purchase if the item is nearby
• include a wide variety of creamer, coffee flavoring, and sweetener choices
• recognize that employees are consumers—brand recognition of coffee brewers and coffee beans/roasters plays a role in purchase decisions

To make the melding process easier, The Vending Station can guide you through the process of integrating office coffee service into an existing micro-market or adding both employee benefits at the same time. For more information about micro-markets, coffee service, or other vending solutions, contact us at (407) 891.7632.