The Coffee Station

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The Coffee Station

So…you’ve been tasked with setting up a meeting and your supervisor (aka “exec”) asks you to make sure there is coffee. No big deal, right? Order some coffee and move on. But how do you make sure that the coffee set-up is what you need? Meetings Academy is here to help!

Obviously, you need coffee. But how much and what kind? This is where you need to back up a step and find out who is attending the meeting and if they have any expectations. First and foremost: ask your exec what they expect. Is it regular coffee? Do you need to provide decaf? Hot tea? The essentials may be enough, but asking a few questions can help you meet expectations, and maybe even impress your exec with your attention to detail.

Here are some questions to ask your exec

(Please note this is for a typical American coffee station at a meeting)

Do we need to provide decaf coffee or just regular coffee?

• A single cup maker is convenient for very small groups but the process is slow and very noisy. Your best bet for more than five people (or small groups in a hurry) is to provide coffee in a thermal container that holds multiple servings.

Do we need to provide hot water for tea drinkers?

• Consider this if you have attendees from the UK and Asia.

• If you decide to offer hot water, consider taking it up a notch and providing hot cocoa packets. You’d be surprised how delighted some attendees will be with a cup of hot cocoa.

Do you want the coffee set up in the room or just outside?

• Setting it up in the room is convenient but can be distracting so consider the meeting’s objectives before deciding where it will be located.

• Setting it up outside the room is easier to refresh for you or the caterer but requires the attendees to take breaks to get more coffee.

Do you prefer coffee mugs or disposable to-go cups?

• This is a consideration for the meeting’s objectives and your organization’s stance on disposables.

• If it’s a very early meeting and you know attendees will be running to another meeting, it might be preferable to provide the option to take a cup of coffee or tea with them in a to-go cup.

• If you offer mugs or cups/saucers, you get a nicer presentation but… someone will be doing dishes.

This may seem like a lot to consider, but after you have done this a couple of times, you’ll know and can note your exec’s expectations for future meetings, making the planning process that much easier.

Items to consider providing on the break (choose what works for you, this list is here to help you think about everything you MIGHT need)

• Coffee in a thermal container

• Decaf coffee in a thermal container*

• Hot water in a thermal container*

• Signage to indicate what is in each thermal container

• Tea bags (black, green, and herbal are good options)*

• Hot cocoa packets*

• Mugs or cups and saucers or to-go cups (with sleeves and lids)

• Spoons and/or stir sticks

• Creamers (half and half, flavored creamers, alternative creamers like almond/soy/oat milk) – you can use individual/disposable servings or pitchers and multi-serving containers (just be sure to label them)

• Sweeteners (white sugar, raw sugar*, honey*, Splenda, Sweet-n-low, Stevia, Equal, flavored syrups*)

• Beverage/cocktail napkins

• Trash bin (if you can find a nice one to put on the table so people can put things like stir sticks and empty creamer cups in it as soon as they’re done (or on the floor at the end of the station)

*These items are not typically offered at every coffee break but might be nice to include depending on your attendees’ expectations/needs

If you’re setting this coffee break up at your office and don’t have any equipment, talk to a catering group about providing only what you need (like coffee and hot water in thermal containers) and you can provide what you already have on hand or can get from a grocery store, etc.

If you provide coffee breaks for groups on a regular basis (more than once a month), consider stocking what you can and buying in bulk to save money. While it’s easier to have the whole break catered and serviced, that’s not always an option. Check our Amazon list for suggestions of items to consider for your own station.

If you are hosting your meeting at a venue that provides catering like a hotel or conference center, they will already know what needs to be there. Just make sure you let them know what specific items you expect and use this list to make sure you don’t forget anything. Some venues will let you bring in items and some won’t, so be sure to ask what you can provide and what they must provide.

Station layout: if you’re setting the station up on your own, here are some suggestions:

• Order is important! See the diagram on the downloadable check sheet for how to set up the items in the correct order so attendees can move smoothly through the coffee station

• Be sure to leave space in front of each section of the station so attendees can set down their cup and add items/stir their coffee before they take it to the meeting table.

We hope this helps you brainstorm ways to set up a coffee station for a meeting that really “wows” your attendees.

PS: Stay tuned for the snack station planning checklist!

VIP level tip: Find out from your attendees or their assistants what they drink and be sure it’s offered during your break. Do they drink a specific green tea? Or maybe they love oat milk in their coffee? Having a specific item to “delight” attendees at the break can make you and your exec heroes with the attendees.

Follow-up: Be sure and use the checklist after the break to note what was used and what people didn’t use so you can provide better options at the next break.

Check out our premium calculator file (limited time offer to grab this for free). The file is set up for you to use as a reference for your next break so you don’t even have to think about it. Once you fill it out a few times, you can pull this list out and order what you need without a second thought. No more worrying that you’re missing something!

And let us know if you think we need to add something to or change the planning list. We’re here for your input!

Dr. H

Stop here if you just wanted was the basics

Below is a VERY DETAILED breakdown of amounts, sizes, etc....

Calculations on how much to order if you’re doing it on your own

Notes: These are minimum suggestions from which to start your planning – your amounts will likely vary and you can track what works for your group on the planning check sheet.

Obviously you can’t order half a sugar packet or half a stir stick; these amounts are suggested for calculating what you need

Cups

• Mugs/cups with saucers per person: 2 per person

• To-go cups (include lids and sleeves if needed): 2 per person

Regular coffee

• 12 ounces per person

  • Estimate more if you know your group includes heavy coffee drinkers or if your meeting is before 10am when people typically drink the most coffee

Decaf coffee

• 4 ounces per person

Hot water

• 8 ounces per person

  • This estimate is for one cup of tea or hot cocoa per person so estimate heavier if your group includes regular tea drinkers

Tea bags

• ·Most variety packs include at least 50 bags while individual flavor boxes typically include 20 bags. The important thing is to offer a variety (at least three options) for attendees.

• Offering 50-60 tea bags for the day is a good estimate for most groups of up to 100 attendees.

Creamers: Offer a couple of options (typically half and half and some kind of non-dairy creamer). The more options you offer, the less you need to provide of each.

• Individual serving cups:

  • Half and half: 2 per person

  • Non-Dairy (estimate more if flavored – they’re popular): 2 per person

• Pitchers of larger amounts:

  • Half and half/whole milk/reduced fat milk: 1 pint per 15 people

  • Flavored non-dairy creamer (like International Delight): 1 pint per 15 people

  • Alternative milks:  1 pint per 30 people

Sweeteners

• Individual serving packets (packet color indicated)

  • White sugar (white): 2 packets per person

  • Raw sugar (brown): 1 packet per person

  • Splenda (yellow): 1 packet per person

  • Sweet-n-low (pink): 1 packet per person

  • Equal (blue): 1 packet per person

  • Stevia (green): 1 packet per person

  • Honey: 1 packet per person

• Multiple serving containers (you only need to put one container out at a time but check how much attendees are using and put a new one out if it gets low. Also note that you can buy large amounts of powdered or crystal sweeteners but they tend to be messy and hard to use, so we have provided estimates for liquid versions that work better at coffee stations):

  • Sugar: one 20 oz pour container per 50 people

  • Honey: one 12 oz squeeze container per 50 people

  • Flavored syrups: one 750 mL bottle with pump per 100 people

  • Liquid Splenda: one 100 mL squeeze bottle per 150 people

  • Liquid Stevia: one 100 mL squeeze bottle per 150 people

Stir Sticks/Spoons

• 2 ½ per person

Beverage/Cocktail Napkins

• 2 per person (estimate more if you will need to use them for any spills)

Note: Be sure to download the Excel file: Coffee Station Checklist & Calculator here (limited time offer to get this premium file for free!)

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