The first thing to know is the good stuff in the break room (and everywhere, really) comes from you, the community. YOU fuel the creativity, productivity and any other good “ivities” at Cowork Frederick. 🙂
Break Room Basics #
Sharing
The break room is a perfect place to practice sharing (Playground Rule #3). We don’t have room for everyone to have their own box of Twinkies, jar of peanut butter, or bottle of creamer. We share.
Personal Food
Of course you can bring your own lunch (and keep it all to yourself). And you can bring in your favorite snack. Just consider letting others enjoy that amazing box of cereal (for example) too. Please put your name on any food you want to remain yours. If you don’t, it might be confused with “community food”. Markers and masking tape are in the top drawer on the far left of the stove. Also, please don’t bring in more personal food than you’ll eat in a week or two.
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Cupboards and drawers in the break room are labeled for your convenience. Instructions for making coffee are posted on the inside of the cabinet door above the coffee maker. Instructions for the dishwasher are inside the cabinet above the dishwasher.
As with just about anything, if you have any questions about the break room – just ask. Any of your fellow coworkers can help.
Beverages
Our break room is stocked with coffee, tea, soft drinks and filtered water. We buy locally roasted fair trade organic coffee from Dublin Roasters Coffee. Much of the tea is contributed by members. We get loose-leaf tea from Voila!, a fellow downtown business. Budget allowing, we also stock the fridge with soft drinks. Coffee is brewed, as needed, by members. Tea bags, loose tea and a variety of tea seeping gadgets are in the cabinet above the coffee maker. Half & half and milk are in the fridge. Sweeteners are next to the coffee maker. Mugs for coffee and tea and glasses for cold drinks are in the cabinets.
Snacks
The cabinet labeled “Community Food” is stocked with, you guessed it, food the community has contributed. You’ll also often see tasty treats set out on the counter – sometimes home-made (the best kind!) Don’t see something you want? Bring it in! Or, toss a couple of bucks in the Food Fund from time to time and more snacks will magically appear. Requests (budget allowing) are welcome. We’re always looking for new ideas.
Pitching In #
Contributions
Coffee and tea, along with the usual fixings, and filtered water (in liquid or solid frozen form) are mainstay break room items. As our budget allows, we also stock soft drinks, cookies, peanut butter, crackers, oatmeal, dried fruit, and other snacks.
Cowork Frederick pitches in $100 a month. Any amount spent above that comes from voluntary member contributions. There’s a “Food Fund” jar in the break room. You can also contribute through the Cash app (we’re $coworkfrederick), via the Square kiosk, or by having Glen add a monthly contribution amount to your invoice. Contributions in the form of food are also welcome and, as it turns out, very popular. 🙂
Your guests are welcome to coffee, tea, or water. If your guest grabs something else (snack or soft drink, for example), please toss a couple of bucks in the jar to help us replenish supplies.
Keeping It Clean
Please don’t leave food or dishes in the sink. Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Just like at home, we run the dishwasher until it’s full. At end of the day, if the dishwasher is full – or we’re just about out of clean glasses or mugs, run the dishwasher. If you find the the dishes in the washer are clean, put them away.
Speaking of the sink, here’s a great tip for keeping it clean. Don’t rinse your dishes in the sink. Instead, scrape any solid food on them into the compost bin, then put them straight into the dishwasher. We compost food waste of all kinds. That includes meat, cheese, and other things you wouldn’t usually compost at home. More on composting here.
If the counters or sink need to be wiped down, there are rags and cleaner in the cabinet to the left of the dishwasher. Put the dirty rags in the laundry bin in the restroom.
Making Coffee
Want coffee and the pot is empty? Brew another pot (half pot in the afternoon, please). Instructions are posted inside the cabinet above the coffee maker and also here.
Fridge & Cabinet Clean-out
We will go through the various places where food is stored and toss out anything we can no longer recognize or believe has gone bad for some other reason, but we like it better when you monitor your own food and toss is when it’s past its prime.