A well-stocked office break room is one of the simplest ways to make a workplace feel worth being at. For San Francisco companies — from a seed-stage startup in SoMa to a growing agency in the Financial District — the break room is where the team actually exhales for five minutes. Here is a practical checklist for getting it right, without overthinking it.
What to Stock: A Category-by-Category Checklist
Beer and cider
Beer is still the most requested break room beverage, and going local is an easy win that most Bay Area teams appreciate. Fort Point, Almanac, and Drake's all make cans that hold up well in a standard fridge. A lager or a low-bitterness IPA tends to please the widest range of people; a cider option covers those who prefer something lighter or gluten-free. Browse our beer collection for what's currently in stock.
Kombucha and cold brew
Not everyone drinks during the workday, and kombucha and cold brew have become reliable break room staples because they feel like a perk without the alcohol. Both also come in keg form and work with standard draft equipment, which means you can run an entirely non-alcoholic tap setup — or put kombucha on one handle and beer on another. We carry a range of kombucha options suited to office orders.
Non-alcoholic fillers
Round out the fridge with sparkling water, canned mocktails, or other zero-proof options for afternoon meetings and team members who prefer not to drink at all. They disappear faster than you would expect.
Cases or Kegs: How to Decide
For most small offices, cases are the natural starting point. They fit in a standard fridge, they give you flexibility across brands and styles, and reordering is simple. No equipment required.
A keg makes more sense once your team is large enough — or thirsty enough — to go through volume consistently. A sixtel (one-sixth barrel) holds around 55 twelve-ounce servings; a half-barrel holds around 165. For a team of 15 or more that stocks beer regularly, a sixtel is often a tidy fit. The tradeoff is equipment: you will need a kegerator or a jockey box to serve from a keg. The upside is less hauling of cases and a consistently cold, well-carbonated pour every time.
Kombucha and cold brew on tap work the same way, and for offices that want to skip the alcohol entirely, a single kegerator running kombucha or cold brew is a genuinely low-effort perk. Browse our full keg selection or our draft equipment to see what is available.
How Much to Order
A rough working number: count on one to two drinks per person on the days people are actually in the office, then multiply by how many days you want between restocks. If you order weekly and have 20 people in on Fridays, a case of beer and a case of cold brew covers a light-to-moderate crowd. If people are grazing daily, adjust up. The most common mistake is undershooting — a break room that is consistently empty by midweek sends its own message.
Track what disappears first. After a couple of orders you will have a clear read on whether your team skews toward beer, kombucha, cold brew, or cider, and you can fine-tune from there.
How Mike's Works for Bay Area Businesses
We have been supplying San Francisco businesses from our store on Mission St. in the Excelsior since 1959. We work with offices of all sizes — from a handful of employees to full corporate accounts with standing orders.
Delivery runs on a consistent schedule: same-day in San Francisco for orders placed by 9 AM, East Bay on Tuesdays, and South Bay on Wednesdays. The flat delivery fee is $8 with a $125 order minimum. Pickup is always free at the store on Mission St. If you want to set up a recurring corporate order or talk through what makes sense for your team, reach out directly — we have been doing this long enough to have a pretty good idea of what offices actually go through.
Ready to put the break room together? Place an order online or stop by the store on Mission St. and we will get you sorted.
Does Mike's deliver to offices outside San Francisco?
Yes — we deliver to the East Bay on Tuesdays and the South Bay on Wednesdays. The flat delivery fee is $8 with a $125 order minimum.
Do I need a kegerator to order a keg?
You will need some way to serve it. We carry draft equipment; browse our equipment collection or call the store and we will walk you through what fits your space and budget.
Can I set up a standing order for my office?
Yes. We work with corporate accounts on recurring orders. Get in touch directly and we will work out a schedule that keeps the fridge stocked without the hassle of placing individual orders each time.