I'm Asking: Do You Eat in the Lunchroom?

March 25, 2009

Just as the kitchen is the natural epicenter of a dinner party, the lunchroom is a common bonding place in the office. It's a neutral locale to chitchat with co-workers you don't know well about real world topics — such as your March Madness pool or last night's TV lineup.

Even if you don't have time to take an hour long break, sitting down in the lunchroom allows you to remove yourself from your workload, keep salad spills off your desk and open yourself up to conversations with your colleagues. Do you ever eat in a common area at work?

Photo courtesy of NBC

25 Comments

SKC Sparkle 4 years 6 weeks

Yes - as much as possible. Our staff is pretty close, and I like taking time away from the stress of the day and hanging out with friends.

aimeeb 4 years 7 weeks

Rarely.

Phorrest99 4 years 8 weeks

No I usually just sit at my desk. Sometimes coworkers come into my office (which I share) & we all have lunch together :) that's always fun.

Spectra 4 years 8 weeks

I usually go to the gym during my lunch break, so I don't usually go hang out in the lounge, which is where most people go during lunch. I do eat there during my morning or evening break though...sometimes I kind of like hanging out with people that work in other parts of the lab that I don't get to see that often.

tzr 4 years 8 weeks

Nearly everyone in my company appears to like eating in a large group. I don't care for it at all. Forced conversations, chit-chatting with people I'd probably rather not get to know too well. It's work I come there to do my job and that's it; the social aspect I'd rather cultivate with people I'm not paid to be around.

tzr 4 years 8 weeks

mehollowell 4 years 8 weeks

No... the thought of having to make small talk is not my thing.

insanitypepper 4 years 8 weeks

I always eat at my desk. I don't like to get drawn into the conversations in the break room, which always seem to either be about religion or grandchildren.

cvandoorn 4 years 8 weeks

I eat at my desk, just to avoid people who really annoy me. But our lunch/break area is pretty cool. Huge windows overlooking the airport/mountains/freeways. Big flat screen tv. PS2 and Wii. There's also a small area with all the latests magazines.

Symphonee 4 years 8 weeks

My department is pretty self contained and we prefer to eat lunch at our desks. We usually wind up laughing and joking during lunch

bengalspice 4 years 8 weeks

I eat at my desk. There's a lunch room on one floor which is really small ... and then there's a large cafeteria that is just a hassle to go up to.

sorrowja 4 years 8 weeks

No I eat at my desk.

bluebellknoll 4 years 8 weeks

Nope. We have a big kitchen...but no table (we just moved). But even when we get a table I'll probably still eat at my desk.

miss malone 4 years 8 weeks

Nope. :P

aistea311 4 years 8 weeks

We have free lunch at the cafeteria so we sit there. I wish we had a breakroom like in "The Office" for in between but sadly we do not :( No soda machines except in another bldg on the other side of the property and we used to have one just behind our office that was from the 80's so sodas were like 45 cents for soda. They even sold GRAPE FANTA:)

skigurl 4 years 8 weeks

we don't have one but i'm like supercoolnat...i'd rather eat at my desk and have some alone time and surf the net

ilanac13 4 years 8 weeks

i typically don't eat lunch -so that would be a no. my office only JUST moved into a new building that has a cafe/lunch area so you can sit and eat, so i guess if i were to want to stay in and eat, i might do it there. i'm usually at the gym though.

luna08 4 years 8 weeks

No. Our kitchen hasn't been renovated & isn't very nice. There's also a distinct lack of...social skills amongst the people who do eat in there. I prefer my desk. I would if I had a view of the Thames though! :)

syako 4 years 8 weeks

We have a small kitchen with no tables. Plus I work out on my lunch break, so eating occurs at my desk when I get back.

Smacks83 4 years 8 weeks

In our kitchen there is no where to sit (very small) so everyone has to just eat at their desks.

starangel82 4 years 8 weeks

Depends. We have a VERY small kitchen. Sometimes I will sometimes I won't. And sometimes I have to work while eating.

MrsRachel 4 years 8 weeks

We have a very small kitchen/lunch area. Most people tend to eat at their desks, but I tend to eat in the common area.

bunnyOhare 4 years 8 weeks

Lunch is an event at my workplace. Usually by 11:15, someone is asking what we're doing for lunch, who needs to order or have something picked up, who brought food but wants to eat what the others are getting, etc. Between 12 and 1, lunch is obtained and we sit around for 30-90 minutes chatting about personal stuff, work stuff, you name it. My office has at most 20 people in it though, so we're a fairly tight knit group.

supercoolnat 4 years 8 weeks

Nope, too much like the middle school cafeteria. I eat at my desk, where I can do my own thing and have as much private down time as possible in the middle of the day.

bigestivediscuit 4 years 8 weeks

I eat in the cafe and/or canteen in our building - we have break out areas as well facing the Thames so that's a nice place to eat but everyone pretty much sticks to their own group so we don't really meet new people, per se! It's a big company. But I do like eating away from my desk as much as possible if I have to eat at the office.

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