The survey of 750 consumers revealed that workers drink on average 2.96 cups of coffee per day, with 54% saying they would stop buying coffee elsewhere if coffee quality in the workplace increased.
Phil Smith, head of category and insight and UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, said: “B&I caterers must compete with high street operators and satisfy consumers demand for a quality coffee.
“Our findings show that 54% of workers would buy coffee at work instead of on the high street if the quality was good enough, which presents a perfect opportunity for operators to increase coffee sales.”
The research also revealed 23% of those surveyed brought coffee from home and workers will spend £1.78 on a cup of coffee, increasing to £2.18 for a quality offer.
Smith said: “Operators looking to improve their coffee offer to give consumers the experience they want and compel workers to stay on site for their coffee bread should focus on delivering consistency and great taste - factors that consumers believe make for the ultimate cup of coffee.
“And with workers prepared to increase their spend by over 22% to £2.18 for premium coffee, a quality coffee offer is the key to healthy profit margins.”