Furnishing a Breakroom People Will Actually Use

A breakroom that stands empty is usually not a budget problem. It is a layout problem. People will not eat somewhere they have to squeeze past a colleague to reach, and they will not linger at a table they cannot wipe down.

Circulation first

Before choosing furniture, mark out the paths. Someone needs to get from the door to the counter, from the counter to a seat, and back out, while other people are already seated.

• Main route through the room: 42 inches clear.
• Behind a seated person: 30 inches minimum for someone to pass, 36 to be comfortable.
• In front of a counter or fridge: 42 inches so the door can open with someone standing there.

These numbers consume more of a small room than expected. If the furniture you want does not leave them, buy less furniture rather than accepting a room nobody uses.

Table shape decides how the room feels

Round tables

Better for conversation, because everyone can see everyone. Also more efficient in awkward rooms — a round table has no corners to collide with a walkway. A 31-inch round table seats two to three; 36 inches seats four.

Rectangular tables

Higher capacity per square foot and they push neatly against a wall. Better where the room is long and narrow, or where people eat alone with a laptop.

A mix works better than either

Most breakrooms serve two behaviours: people who want to sit with colleagues and people who want fifteen minutes alone. One or two small round tables plus a longer bench or wall-side counter serves both. A single large table serves only the first, and it is the reason some breakrooms are used only by the same four people.

Bar-height versus dining-height

Bar-height tables suit short stops and standing conversation, and they read as less formal. They are harder for some people to use comfortably, so a room with only bar-height seating excludes people. If you use them, include at least one dining-height option.

Surfaces have to be wipeable

This sounds trivial and it determines whether the room stays pleasant. Laminate and melamine tops wipe clean and tolerate hot mugs. Untreated wood stains and rings within a month. Glass shows everything and is cold to eat at.

Same for chairs: a wipeable seat or a removable washable cover. Fabric task chairs migrate into breakrooms and then absorb a spilled coffee permanently.

Chairs: stackable or not

Stackable chairs let the room be cleared for other uses and make cleaning under them possible. The tradeoff is comfort — a stackable chair is rarely one you want to sit in for an hour, which is fine, because a breakroom chair should not encourage an hour.

Check the stated stack height and whether they need a trolley. Chairs stacked eight high are hard to lift down safely.

The details that get missed

• Bin placement. A bin by the door and a bin by the counter. One bin in a corner means rubbish stays on tables.
• Somewhere to put a bag. A hook or a shelf. Without it, bags go on chairs and reduce the seating.
• Power. At least one accessible socket that is not behind the microwave.
• Light. Breakrooms are often internal and lit only by overhead fluorescents. A lamp changes the room more cheaply than anything else on this list.

Buying for a business

Order one chair before ordering twelve. Sit in it for twenty minutes. Check the stack. Check it fits under your table with the arms, if it has arms. This is the cheapest possible test and it is skipped constantly.

Our Tables & Podiums and Office Seating ranges cover breakroom and cafe furniture. For multi-item orders, contact us to confirm stock before ordering.