Working in a Coworking space means you come across many people from different domain of work, different cultures, different tastes, different lifestyles, etc. Keeping this in mind, you must also think that people around you will also have different diets, food preferences, and food allergies. Therefore, there are certain types of foods that you should avoid in a Coworking place. To avoid being the annoying, loud chomping, or potent-lunch eater at work, avoid bringing the following food types:
Messy food times like watery fruits, curry, dripping sandwiches, etc are a strict NO in Coworking places. They mess up your place, create extra work to clean, smell, and have a great chance of spilling on other people. Imagine your food getting spilled on another person. How embarrassing would that be! Moreover, your food also got spoiled. Therefore, it is always better to carry dry foods around your workplace.
Some people are also allergic to certain food items or their smell. You cannot always know who likes what food and dislikes what. And you can always pack your lunch in accordance with that. So, what’s the solution? Avoid taking non veg. This might not be a full proof solution but it can work to a great extent. You should always remember that there are many people in your Coworking space. Some of them are vegetarians, some are non-vegetarians, and some might even be vegans. So taking things like fish curry or chicken curry might cause them problems. So it will be rather rude not to consider their discomfort with the smell.
Avoid eating fast food. The greasy smell of fast food also lingers for quite a bit, even after you have finished your lunch. Fermented foods are also the same. They also sent out quite a strong odour. The smell they send out is so strong that they may ask the other person in the next cubicle for the cover.
Strictly avoid onions and garlic. No matter how much you like your dishes seasoned, you should leave onions and garlic off anything you plan to eat in the office. Not only will it make your office space smell bad, but your breath won’t be fit for an afternoon meeting as well.
Be a responsible co-worker and avoid getting these kinds of foods at your workplace to maintain a healthy atmosphere there. Work diligently and let your other co-workers work as well.
Foods to avoid at all times
Fish | Fish is awesome when it is fresh, but leftovers should never be in the office. The smell lingers and takes over the entire office, leaving your co-workers frantically searching for fresh air. |
Seafood | All ocean catches, canned or fresh, should be off the menu when snacking at your desk in a co-working space, especially if re-heating is necessary. The fish dish or scallop pie you had last night might be tasty, but the odour is sure to be noticed far and wide. Anchovies, sardines, and mussels can be particularly pungent, so it’s best to wait until you’re home to get your seafood fix. |
Curry | Lamb, goat, and vegetarian curries are delicious, however, all the amazing spices that make curry taste so good tend to linger in the air, which isn’t a nice experience for those that get to also eat it. Unfortunately, that appeal is usually reserved for the person (or persons) eating it. For the rest of the office, the smell of curry will be reminiscent of something like body odor—definitely not satisfying. Reheating it in the microwave will even amplify the smell ten times. We’re not sure anyone can use that microwave oven anytime soon. |
Fast food | Let’s face it, we all have a hankering for some greasy grub occasionally, but you should stop and think before bringing KFC, McDonald’s, pizza, or any other fast food into your work area. The occasional burger shouldn’t make too much of a difference, but enjoying them too much within the office walls might leave an unwelcome aroma for your coworkers. |
Hard boiled eggs | We all know the smell that hard boiled eggs can give off. This horrendous smell comes from sulphur. Fun fact, sulphur is the same compound that gives skunks their defensive smell. |
Spicy Meat Kebabs | Lamb kebabs, shawarma, and other kebab fares are appreciated by a lot of people because of the unique taste of this spicy cuisine. Generally, most kebabs (especially those prepared in North Vancouver), will only taste and smell great to the person actually eating them. Even your coworkers around you like kebabs, the smell can be overwhelming and they won’t leave our office for hours to come. |
Fried Chicken | Fried chicken smells good … at first. But by the end of the day, that oil-soaked bucket you threw in the trash will have lingered in the air for so long that everyone in your office will feel like a KFC employee. Y’all have worked too hard for that. |
Onions | We mostly love onions, but be aware that many people despise them. The smell is powerful and resembles bad body odour. Not to mention, the horrendous breath that you get from eating them. If it seems like all your co-workers are avoiding talking to you, it’s probably from the onions. |
Broccoli | Broccoli is an acquired taste for a lot of people, but we can all agree that the smell that comes after microwaving it is absolutely disgusting for most. Bringing broccoli to work is the perfect way to get the office talking about you, but not the way you want them to. Stick to the alternative of raw broccoli with some ranch dipping sauce to avoid the negative attention. |
Popcorn | Popcorn is a little different than these other foods. The reason to stay away from bringing popcorn to work is because it smells delicious, rather than disgusting. This leaves the office hungry and desperately wanting some of the popcorn. Unless you bring in enough for the whole gang, leave the popcorn at home for your late night Netflix binge. |
Anything crunchy | Chips, pretzels, and popcorn are fun snacks, but listening to someone eat them is annoying and distracting. A common pet hate is hearing other people chew, so consider a less crunchy snack when planning your weekly meals. |
Which foods you should prefer?
Dry foods are always a major hit. They are a go to food every time. They won’t drip, and they won’t create any problems. You can eat them anytime. They don’t also have any odour, so they do not cause any problems for the other co-workers.
Potato chips also come in handy in this kind of case. You can buy, eat, and throw them at your discretion. Biscuits, potato chips, and chocolates come to your rescue. You can have a sneak peek into them anytime you get a little time off. Wiping hands will also suffice and you don’t have to worry about washing hands.
You need to clean after using any dining area table or any leftovers if you used your Workstation or resource for snacks
If you do not comply with these rules, we may charge you extra cleaning fees as we outsource cleaning, which needs to be called on an urgent basis. These fees may start at $100 for a large meeting room, $70 for a small meeting room, $50 for a private booth, $30 for any lounge area desks, including phone booths, and $20 for dining area tables if left uncleaned. These fees may be more than written, depending on the mess left. These fees will be added to your invoice without warning. If you are a Member of a team, these sums will be added to your team’s paying Member’s invoices. So if you are a team-paying Member, please inform your team of these rules as well.
No dining other than dining area
Other areas in the lounge area should not be used for dining. They are built to be spots that members use for work and small meetings. Please respect people working in that area, as no one wants someone dining or smelling your food while working or having a meeting. This rule also applies to dedicated desks, single work booths, and Meeting Rooms. Private offices are excluded.
Small snacks and drinks are fine all around
Snacks, refreshments, and coffee are fine in all areas as long as you keep the spot clean after your consumption.
Restaurant Options
West Quay Offices have many restaurants around. Especially if you walk a bit to Lonsdale Quay, you will find an amazing number of restaurants with yummy food.