Many things about the post-COVID workplace are going to take some considerable getting-used-to. Routine temp checks, muffled face-mask conversations, and socially distant lunch breaks change the office dynamic in dramatic ways. Gone are the days of collaborating in cozy huddle rooms.
Despite the enforced separation, the yearn for interaction, connection, and community lingers. Historically, we get our fill of those basic needs is the break room, the best place to refuel, collaborate, and connect. These necessities remain in today, in the “new normal.” Consumer research shows us that Americans are most excited to reconnect with their friends, family, and colleagues when eating away from home. But, how can this kind of interaction continue in a break room post-COVID-19?
Things will look different, and they have to. However, the changes you’ll see in your break room don’t have to be uncomfortable. In fact, Canteen’s break room of the future was long underway before the outbreak and isn’t all that unfamiliar.
