---
title: "Break Room Food & Drink"
description: "**TLDR:** We do break room food & drink, like just about everything else, together, communally. You pay it forward, and benefit from everyone doing the same. We aim to have quality food and drink that includes healthier options, to use…"
url: "https://coworkfrederick.com/docs/break-room-food/"
updated: "2026-09-16"
category: "How It Works / Kitchens & Break Rooms"
---

# Break Room Food & Drink

**TLDR:** We do break room food & drink, like just about everything else, together, communally. You pay it forward, and benefit from everyone doing the same. We aim to have quality food and drink that includes healthier options, to use our funds wisely, and to reduce waste. We share. You can also [bring in personal food](https://coworkfrederick.com/docs/personal-food-fridge-cleanout/) (typically food you will eat that day).

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. :)

## Here's how we do food & drink

**Together.** Our break rooms/kitchens have always been communal, meaning members collectively contribute to and benefit from the food, drink, dishes, and so on. That includes Cowork Frederick (from its business funds), and Glen and Julia personally. We do it this way because “together” is how we roll. It reinforces a sense of community. It makes better use of resources (the food, drink, and your money). And, it reduces waste. Plus, it’s more fun. Who doesn’t like discovering a new, tasty treat?

**We share.** Sharing ([Playground Rule](https://www.coworkfrederick.com/docs/playground-rules/) #3) is the only way stocking things like ketchup, salad dressing, or boxes of cereal works. We don’t have room for everyone to have their own (for example) jar of peanut butter. You can bring in your favorite snack; just bring enough to share.

**We pitch in.** - Want coffee, and the pot is empty?  Nothing is someone else's job. Go ahead and brew another pot. Counters messy? Tidy up. Low on snacks? Bring some in.

**We buy in bulk.** We aim to operate sustainably, so we buy larger packages and put snacks out in glass jars instead of buying individually wrapped snacks. If you bring in food to share, please also opt for the bulk packages instead of single-serving packages.

**We spend wisely.**

**Commitment to Quality** – While it’s important (necessary, really) to keep costs down, we’re committed to stocking (mostly) name-brand and higher quality items. So, while the store brand of cola might cost less, we buy Coca-Cola – lots of it, every time there’s a good deal.

**Healthier Options** – We’re committed to stocking healthier snack options. When our budget allows, we’ll stock the break room with organic oranges and/or apples, carrots, and other snack-worthy produce. And, in 2025, we started putting out a healthy snack (e.g., veggies & hummus, apples & peanut butter/yogurt dip) in the afternoon.

**Member Contributions are Key** – As always, contributions from members make all this work, which means you can thank the person next to you for the bounty in our break room. Then do your part. Bring in some fruit, cookies, a box of tea, or whatever you want to share. Toss some money in the food fund jar or scan the QR code in a break room.

**Keeping it Clean & Safe** – Fridges, freezers, and cabinets are routinely cleared out. To reduce the risk of bad things propagating in our fridges (and also to keep down the clutter), we remove all personal food from the fridges every Friday (no exceptions). We also periodically check expiration dates on shared food and discard (compost) it as we deem necessary.

## Here's why we do it that way

We do it this way because “together” is how we roll. It reinforces a sense of community. It makes better use of resources (the food, drink, and your money). And, it reduces waste. Plus, it’s more fun. Who doesn’t like discovering a new, tasty treat?

It's kind of fun to try what others like, don't you think?

## Food & Drink FAQ

**Q: What does Cowork Frederick (the business) contribute to the break room?**
Cowork Frederick provides coffee, tea, and various creamers and sweeteners. We also provide filtered water and seltzer water. And, to keep our bookkeeping simple, since they come from the creamery where we get our milk and half-and-half, we provide eggs, butter, and yogurt.

**Q: How much is spent on break room food and drink each month?**Cowork Frederick spends roughly $400 each month on the things it provides. The rest depends on the funds contributed the month before. We total up the funds pitched in by members, and that sets the budget for our shopping trip(s) to get soft drinks and snacks.

**Q: What are members expected to contribute?**
Nothing is expected, but every contribution is welcome. It's just another way you can show some love to the CF community. If you're eating a cookie, "healthy snack", or bowl of cereal, if you're drinking a soft drink or enjoying an afternoon beer or kombucha, it's because someone cared and pitched in. Don't you feel loved?

**Q: How much should I contribute?**
We know people's ability to pitch in changes over time, as does their interest in snacking while here. The beauty of a communal kitchen is that it's not about paying for what you’re taking. It’s about showing love, about paying it forward, and giving back to the CF community. That said, a good rule of thumb is to give at least the amount you take, if you are able.

**Q: How do I contribute?**
You can bring in things like baked goods or produce from your garden (post it in Slack when you do). You can bring in bulk-size packages of snacks. You can ask us to add a food fund amount to your monthly invoice. For as-you-go money contributions, you can put cash in a “Pay it forward” / “Kitchen Karma” bowl. To use a credit or debit card, you can scan a QR code posted on the fridge or log into the Cowork Frederick website and go to member links (note: $10 minimum).

**Q: If I prefer to bring in food, what should I bring?**

- Cookies: Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Nutter Butter, Ginger Snaps, Fig Newtons
- Candy: Chocolate (of just about any kind), Gummy Bears, Mints
- Savory: Pretzels, Mixed Nuts, Trail Mix, Cheez-Its, Triscuits
- Produce: Carrots, Avocados, Tomatoes, Oranges, Apples, just about anything from a home garden

**Q: Where do you shop?**
We buy from several stores that have, over the years, reliably provided the balance of quality, selection, and price that we need. We shop strategically, leveraging sales, coupons, points, and other deals, and buying in bulk.

**Q: Why not just increase membership fees?**
This topic has come up multiple times in member town hall meetings over the years and, every time, the majority of members want to keep the communal take-some/leave-some handling of break room food and drink. Members have noted that 1) people consume food and drink differently, 2) what and how much people consume changes over time, 3) people's ability to pay changes over time, and 4) it feels good to give voluntarily. It's also consistent with our values and communal way of doing things.

**Q: Can I bring in personal food, just for me?**
Of course, you can bring your own lunch or snacks to eat that day. Remember that anything in the refrigerator without a name on it is up for grabs, so if you don’t want to share your lunch, put your name on it. We have a system for all that. Read about it [here](https://coworkfrederick.com/docs/personal-food-fridge-cleanout/).

**Q: Can I bring things from my garden?**Yes, please!!!

**Q: Can I bring leftovers from parties?**Absolutely!