Considering a workplace canteen? Six reasons why the Micro Market is a better alternative.

The canteen has traditionally been a popular choice for businesses looking to implement refreshments into their premises. Whilst it used to work well, it’s no longer flexible or exciting enough to cater to the demands of the workforce.

The Micro Market is a modern alternative that’s rapidly growing in demand. Express Refreshments has installed five Micro Markets in as many years and another couple are almost complete!

Here are six reasons why more businesses are choosing the Micro Market as a better alternative to the workplace canteen.

1) It’s more flexible.

The workplace canteen won’t be open all day. This is because it requires somebody to assume “control” of the facility at set times. On the other hand, the Micro Market is available 24/7.

Yes, that’s 24-hour access, every day.

How is this possible? Because it is completely unmanned! The Micro Market is designed to be self-service with an easy-to-use payment terminal that accepts cashless payments.

This makes the Micro Market more flexible to cater to staff’s individual needs. They are no longer forced to take a break at set times.

And of course, being open 24/7 means it caters brilliantly to hybrid working, a key trend in the modern world.

2) Totally unique. Completely personal.

Today’s workplace isn’t just a location where employees are expected to work like robots for 7 or 8 hours a day. Instead, it needs to be an environment that encourages your team to flourish.

Your design will impact staff satisfaction a great deal. The Micro Market represents everything a modern working environment should be, with your own tailored design that occupies the available space.

You only need to view our website to realise that no facility looks completely the same. We design and create your market from the ground up, which opens plenty of opportunity for your business.

And because the market is designed to represent a convenience store or corner shop, all staff members are given a “market card” where they can receive frequent offers and discounts.

3) A fresh food service. And more.

The workplace canteen will not be able to offer as many products for the working day as the Micro Market can.

The reason why, is because the canteen requires a preparation area for meals, whereas the Micro Market is all about convenience with a fully operated service handled by Express Refreshments after installation.

All items are pre-packaged for grab-and-go, a highly desired trait with the stresses and strains of the working world.

From freshly prepared sandwiches, salads and fruit to tasty treats and healthier snacks, the Micro Market is a true convenience store in the heart of your workplace. You can even enjoy your own fresh bean coffee machine.

The Micro Market simply provides more choice to appeal to all your team members.

4) A wellbeing hub.

The workplace canteen serves one purpose: to enable your employees to get a bite to eat at dinner time. The Micro Market offers the same purpose, but with the addition of doing so in a wellbeing hub.

As explained above, the Micro Market is a great choice to grab-and-go back to your workstation if you’re particularly busy, but why not take advantage of another benefit this facility brings?

Most of our clients opt for a grand breakout area that houses the Micro Market at the very heart.

As employee wellbeing continues to influence the design and operations of workplaces all over the country, implementing a meaningful breakout area represents a fantastic employee perk.

Think comfy seating, TVs, and even pool tables or table football. Ultimately, working out what will work best will come down to your own teams’ needs.

5) It even aids collaboration.

The Micro Market is a workplace refreshment facility that your staff will love using. The opportunity to pop down for a coffee or bite to eat, whenever they want, can be extremely valuable.

Colleagues crossing each other’s path from time to time opens up the opportunity for collaboration via informal discussion. This could lead to improved staff relationships, which then boosts wellbeing.

Over the years, a lot of our clients have enhanced their breakout area further, by also making it a great location for team meetings and focused work. Why not explore pods for when team members want to escape the office and work elsewhere?

When you have such an innovative workplace facility, it opens up opportunity for even more.

6) It’s more cost-effective.

The Micro Market could represent a saving over the workplace canteen, primarily because it is handled by one company (us!) and eliminates the need for a cashier.

Our payment terminal is designed to be easy to use, and with cashless payments the convenience only continues to grow. Better still, because it runs on software that is exclusive to Express Refreshments, we are always modifying and improving it.

This means you can save money on having to employ someone to assume control, like you would in the canteen.

And because we provide a fully operated refreshment service with ongoing replenishment, you haven’t got to rely on another company for the catering either!

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The Express Refreshments Micro Market represents a forward-thinking workplace refreshment solution that caters to the modern employee.

It’s flexible, personal and could even be cost-effective. It’s no wonder so many companies, of all sizes across different industries, are choosing this facility across the West Midlands and beyond.

Talk to our team for more information on the Micro Market. It would be great to talk to you and learn more about your current situation and requirements.