Introducing an office cafe can change your workplace! What's the secret to increasing employee satisfaction and productivity?

First, let's take a look at what an office cafe is and why it's currently attracting so much attention.

An office cafe is a multi-purpose space that has a stylish, relaxing atmosphere like a cafe.
In addition to being used for eating and drinking, they can be used for a variety of purposes, such as for employees to communicate with each other, for meetings, or to take a break from work. Typical types include lounge-style, cafeteria-style, and refreshment space-style.

In companies that have actually introduced office cafes, it is common to see them combining several of these types depending on the purpose, and using them as multi-functional spaces.

Conventional break rooms, smoking rooms, and cafeterias are generally installed for limited purposes such as "smoking," "resting," and "eating." Therefore, they are often designed to be used only by employees, and the interior and design are often kept to a minimum.

On the other hand, office cafes are generally designed with multiple uses in mind.
With clever design and layout, it can be adapted for a variety of uses, such as a place to promote employee communication and collaboration on a regular basis, and as an event space or customer service area when needed.

As a result of work style reforms, working from home has become widespread, and many companies are facing issues such as a lack of communication within the company.
As a solution to this problem, attention is being paid to office cafes, which are said to be effective in stimulating communication.

By providing a place where people can talk casually in a relaxed atmosphere, we can expect to improve communication within the company.
Setting up an office cafe is not just about providing a cafe space within the company; it is also chosen as a way to solve problems.

There are many other Advantage to introducing an office cafe besides improving communication. Let's take a look at each of these effects.

Office cafes are open and relaxed spaces, making it easy for employees to talk to each other and exchange opinions. Unlike traditional conference rooms and desks, the casual atmosphere allows employees to have private conversations, helping to bring them closer together.

Even in offices with many assigned seats due to the nature of the industry, there is also Advantage of utilizing a cafe space to make face-to-face communication easier.

In addition, if the office cafe is also used as a visitor area, it will become even easier to expand collaboration with outside parties.

If you can take a break during work in a comfortable space like an office cafe, you can reduce stress and relax both physically and mentally. It is said that when the brain is relaxed, it becomes more flexible in how it thinks and is more likely to generate new ideas.

Also, when working in an office cafe, the different atmosphere from the office space stimulates workers' senses and can lead to creative ideas and solutions.

Office cafes are open to everyone in the company, making them a great place for chance encounters between people from different departments and positions. These encounters can lead to unexpected ideas and collaborations.

If there was a relaxing space within the company where employees could chat casually with each other or relax alone during breaks, work-related stress would be greatly reduced.
This will naturally lead to increased motivation among employees.

In addition, introducing an office cafe as an employee benefit is also effective in improving each employee's sense of belonging and engagement.

In recent years, Japan has been suffering from a chronic shortage of human resources, and the competition to acquire particularly talented personnel has become fierce.
Introducing an office cafe will improve your company's image as one that "values its employees" and "is proactive in taking on cutting-edge initiatives," which will be a major selling point for business partners and job seekers.

Of course, not only will it attract talented people, but as mentioned above, it can also increase the satisfaction of current employees, which can lead to improved retention rates.

From here, we will introduce some specific examples of how to use office cafes.

Office cafes are also used as spaces for workers to refresh themselves. It is said that taking a short break or nap during work helps employees maintain concentration and improves work efficiency.

The space, which incorporates greenery and wood tones, has a relaxing effect and is perfect for changing your mood. It will temporarily release you from stress and refresh your mind.

Installing partitions or seats with dividers so you don't have to worry about people looking at you will make you feel even more relaxed.

You can set up a whiteboard, monitor, projector, etc. in your office cafe and use it as a place for presentations and discussions.

With a creative layout, you can also use the space for meetings and business negotiations with external clients. Holding harmonious discussions in a relaxing space is likely to increase the success rate of business negotiations.

The open layout of an office cafe makes it easy for people to gather naturally and encourage conversation.
Placing a large table and sofas will make it easier for multiple people to hold meetings and discussions.

The company cafe has become a place for interaction across departmental and team boundaries, allowing employees who normally have little contact to communicate casually, increasing the likelihood of new ideas and collaborations being born.

Installing a bulletin board or digital signage in a corner of the office cafe is convenient because you can easily check information about the company. A graffiti board where employees can write freely and a self-introduction corner can be a good opportunity for communication between employees.

Setting up a book corner can also help employees improve their knowledge and skills.

We also recommend using the office cafe as a space for internal and external events and seminars.
Companies that have set up large office cafes set up microphones, screens, and sound equipment and use them for a variety of events, such as lectures, workshops, and social gatherings.

Even if it is normally used as a meeting or communication space, if the furniture is movable, you can freely change the layout to suit the scale and content of the event.

When introducing an office cafe, it is important to clarify its purpose and function and create an effective space. Here are three points to keep in mind when introducing an office cafe.

It is important that an office cafe is a space where people naturally gather.
Installing it in a place that is easy to stop by from each floor or on the route of traffic in areas with high foot traffic will allow many employees to use it easily. We also recommend placing it near equipment that employees use on a daily basis, such as copy machines, printers, and kitchens.

Furthermore, having a cafe corner in the company with coffee, tea, snacks, etc. will attract more people. It will also be an opportunity for communication between employees.

​The key to designing an office cafe is to create an open, relaxing atmosphere that is completely different from the work area.

It is a good idea to choose furniture with a good design and arrange the sofas, lounge chairs, and cafe tables in a way that makes it easy to relax.
By effectively arranging natural materials such as wood-grain furniture and flooring, and potted plants, you can create a warm space. Using lighting that is not too bright and calming will increase the feeling of relaxation.

Even if your office space is limited, you can create a compact cafe space by making effective use of dead space, hallways, and other empty space.
When it comes to furniture and decor, choose compact sizes to fit your space.

Furthermore, even in a cafe corner, it is easier to set up in a small space by limiting the functions, such as omitting plumbing fixtures and using vending machines or a kitchen for drinks.

イトーキは、デザイン性と機能性が両立したオフィスカフェ導入のご支援を行っています。文化や業務特性をしっかりとヒアリングしたうえで、それぞれの企業にぴったりな空間をご提案しています。

ここからは、イトーキが実際にカフェの導入をご支援した事例を5つご紹介します。

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