Staples Showcases Breakroom Makeover Contest Winner

In August, Staples, Inc. launched its nationwide “Ultimate Breakroom Makeover Contest." The content was open to businesses with at least 10 employees where the eligible winner would receive $50,000 toward a break room transformation.

As a leader in the break room space, Staples Business Advantage, the B2B division of Staples, provided the grand prize winner access to its solutions – including coffee options, healthy snacks, office furniture, cleaning solutions, and technology products – as well as expert design and installation services. The winning break room would also be the focus of a professional workplace study to demonstrate how a changing workspace can impact office behavior and culture.

After thousands of applications, Staples selected Mote Marine Laboratory — a non-profit, research-based institution with over 200 employees and 1,700 volunteers that are committed to saving the oceans — as the winner of the contest, offering the Sarasota-based organization the opportunity for a top-to-bottom $50,000 makeover in its break room.

Today, the makeover is complete and the results are being unveiled. Click here to see the before and after video.

With new appliances and a modern color scheme, Staples brought the marine science mission to the break room. Modern kitchen equipment and new furniture – including banquet tables, a 9-foot work bar, and mail sorter – have helped created a collaborative, productive space where Mote’s employees can unwind during the day, stepping out of the work zone without stepping out of the lab.  For the next few months, Professor Dasborough at the University of Miami, will also be studying the effects the new space has on employee morale and productivity.

One Mote employee commented that "the changes that Staples has made with this break room have been inspirational."