The demands of commercial interiors have evolved radically in recent years and as a result, approaches to office design have had to adapt, modernise, and cater for hybrid and dispersed teams. We stay at the forefront of these innovations, to provide organisations with transformative office interior solutions in Manchester, Liverpool and across the North-West.
Technology has transformed how we work. Many organisations are moving away from traditional business and office models, embracing change and reinvigorating working practices with smart office solutions. Penketh Group partners with leading brands to bring you the most innovative workplace technology advancements, helping your office collaborate, create, share information quickly and achieve your goals.
Gone are the days when teams would huddle around old mismatched furniture in the corner of an old kitchen. As one of the most versatile spaces in the office, the canteen has become the social hub in many leading organisations.
The traditional office canteen concept has evolved significantly, often referred to as the Work Café, this vital, agile, multi-functional space encourages workers away from their desk to relax, rejuvenate and socialise with colleagues across the organisation.
Planning
Just like in the home, a strategically designed office kitchen can become the heart of the workplace.
A lot of organisations are looking to their existing workplace to support and encourage more hybrid ways of working, and the office canteen is a great place to start. Consider the purpose of the space: besides the obvious requirement of catering for busy lunch periods, the kitchen or canteen space can be maximised and used for hosting and entertaining visitors and informal collaborative meetings.
Dedicated spaces
The two terms can be used interchangeably, but typically an office canteen is a place for collaegues to come together, in a relaxed, social and comfortable setting, away from their desks. Office canteens provide a space for your teams to eat, drink and recharge. A canteen space should have access to kitchen facilities so everyone can easily store and prepare food.
An office kitchen tends to be a smaller space solely used for the stoage and prep of basic food and drinks. Office kitchens do not usually have space for colleagues to eat, and won’t include dining tables or booth seating for example.
A third place
In larger organisations, both kitchens and canteens tend to work hand in hand, with a central, larger canteen space for socialising and eating, and smaller kitchens or tea stations located around the office floor.
A workcafe creates a vital ‘third place’ for employees, a destination that isn’t work or home, but instead somewhere that’s comfortable, provides a sense of community and promotes social diversity.
With many organisations looking for ways to encourage teams back into the workplace, work cafés, canteens and ‘third places’ are fundamental to harvesting diversity, choice and freedom, and bridging the gap between work and relaxed home environments.
Strategic design
At Penketh Group we understand the art (and science) of creating facilities people gravitate towards. With a shift in attitudes to more hybrid working, and with 91% of employees stating that having a space to recharge and re-energise is important, an office canteen is no longer a luxury, but rather a core pillar of the workplace environment.
Employees who dine together at work are 36% more likely to keep communicating beyond the lunch break, so a strategically designed workcafe is a great way to foster strong working relationships and get those creative ideas flowing.
Showroom
Hungry to see more? With leading organisations putting social and hybrid spaces at the top of their priority list, office kitchen, café and canteen design has evolved dramatically in recent years, We’d love to welcome you to our furniture and technology showroom in central Manchester, to share our insights and thought-provoking ideas over a coffee.
Office kitchens, cafés and canteens are untypical workspaces, but still integral to a modern workplace. Their furniture is stylish, sturdy office furniture, but with a difference.
Designing office canteen areas
Whether you’re looking for inspiration, have a workplace issue you need to overcome, or you’re ready to embark upon an entire project, our team of experts are ready to listen.
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