What Texas Offices Want in the Pantry, From Dallas to Austin and Houston

Texas workplaces are growing, changing, and getting a lot more attention. The state is now home to 57 Fortune 500 headquarters, the most in the country. Dallas–Fort Worth has become an especially active corporate hub, with CBRE reporting more than 100 headquarters relocations to the metro since 2018.

That growth is translating into investment in the workplace itself. Goldman Sachs, for example, is building an 800,000-square-foot Dallas campus designed for more than 5,000 employees, complete with collaborative workspaces and a range of employee amenities.

For workplace teams, that raises a practical question: What does a great workplace food and beverage program look like in Texas?

Crafty manages office pantry, snack, beverage, and coffee programs across Texas, including Dallas, Austin, and Houston. We asked Ashley Manning and Gabrielle Ebron, Client Operations Managers on our Texas team, what they're seeing firsthand, from the drinks employees can't get enough of to how Texas weather, office size, and employee feedback shape what belongs in the pantry.

Key Takeaways

• Cold drinks and protein lead: Cold brew (canned and on tap), sweet tea, sparkling and functional waters, nuts, and high-protein snacks are top sellers in Dallas, Austin, and Houston offices.
• Local brands add personality: Dr Pepper, Katz Coffee, Think Jerky and Realsy sit alongside the national brands employees already know.
• Data keeps the pantry relevant: Texas workplace teams want consumption data to keep what’s used, rotate what isn’t, and adjust stocking for heat and headcount.

Meet the Duo from Crafty’s Texas Client Operations Team

Ashley Manning and Gabrielle Ebron are Client Operations Managers on Crafty’s Texas team, supporting pantry programs across Dallas, Austin, and Houston.

Working alongside the national account manager, they help connect each office’s day-to-day needs with the company’s broader program goals, ensuring a consistent experience across locations.

On the ground, they partner with onsite teams to review consumption, adjust stocking levels, refresh product selections, and turn employee feedback into meaningful improvements.

Ashley Manning, Client Operations Manager:
Ashley oversees Crafty’s Austin market, bringing more than a decade of experience in office food and beverage programs.⁠ She works closely with workplace teams and service partners to fine-tune pantry selections, manage budgets, and keep day-to-day service running smoothly.

Gabrielle Ebron, Client Operations Manager:
Gabrielle oversees Crafty’s Dallas market and has been part of the team since April 2025.⁠ She helps workplace teams build pantry programs around their employees’ needs, from choosing new products and adjusting stocking levels to coordinating with service partners and helping clients use the Crafty Platform.⁠

We asked Ashley and Gabrielle what’s trending in Texas office pantries and how workplace teams are adapting.

How Are Office Pantry Programs Different in Texas?

The short answer: Texas programs have to account for large, spread-out campuses, long distances between locations, and extreme heat, all of which affect logistics, beverage consumption, and fresh products.

Ashley: Scale is a big one. Texas offices can be enormous given the space we have, and campuses can be spread out. For employees and service providers, that can mean a lot of distance between locations. That makes consistency and strong logistics especially important.

The climate matters, too. The heat affects everything from beverage consumption to fresh products and how we think about deliveries. You have to build an office food and beverage program around how the workplace actually operates here.

Gabrielle: Absolutely. Texas offices can have very different needs depending on the city, size,e and type of workplace, so understanding each location is important. What works for one Dallas office may look different from an Austin or Houston office.

What Office Snacks and Drinks Are Texas Employees Reaching For Right Now?

The short answer: Cold coffee leads the list, especially canned cold brew and beverages on tap like cold brew, tea, and kombucha. Sweet tea, sparkling and functional waters, and high-protein snacks are also popular.

Gabrielle: Cold coffee is huge. We see a lot of canned cold brew, but Texas also really loves beverages on tap. That could be cold brew, tea, or kombucha.

Sweet tea is popular with a lot of clients, too. And in Dallas specifically, we see a lot of interest in variety packs. Employees want options.

Ashley: Functional beverages and sparkling or flavored waters are moving really well, along with cold coffee. On the snack side, protein continues to be important. Nuts, high-protein snacks, and better-for-you versions of familiar favorites are all popular.

People still want snacks they enjoy. They're just increasingly looking for options that also fit how they want to eat throughout the workday.

Which Brands Do Texas Offices Love Most?

The short answer: Dr Pepper is the Texas staple. Katz Coffee, Think Jerky, and Realsy also have strong followings in Texas office pantries.

Ashley: The best office pantry assortments usually have a balance. Familiar national brands give employees products they already know and love, while Texas and regional brands make the pantry feel a little more connected to where you are. Local products can add personality without requiring the entire assortment to be hyper-local.

Gabrielle: Texans love Dr Pepper, and that’s no secret. We also see excitement around brands like Katz Coffee, Think Jerky, and Realsy, which have strong local fan bases.

What Are Texas Workplace Teams Asking Crafty For Most Right Now?

The short answer: Texas workplace teams most want consumption data, collaborative tools for managing the pantry, concierge support, and a more personalized pantry selection.

Gabrielle: Data. Data. Data.

Workplace teams want to understand what's being consumed and how they can use that information to make better decisions. They also really value the collaborative pantry features in the Crafty platform because managing an office pantry involves input from a lot of different people.

We're seeing more interest in concierge support as well, both from existing clients and companies we're talking to.

Ashley: Personalization is a big part of it. Clients are asking for more protein, healthier office snacks, fresh fruit, seasonal products, local coffee, and products their employees have specifically requested.

The conversation is increasingly about how to create a pantry people actually use while still keeping an eye on the budget. Consumption data helps you do both.

How Do You Use Pantry Data to Decide What Stays and What Goes?

The short answer: Texas offices get the most from their pantry by keeping what employees consume, rotating out what isn’t moving, and using feedback to pick replacements, often with no budget increase.

Ashley: A full pantry doesn't necessarily mean it's a good pantry.

The best office pantries are built around what employees actually want and consume. We look at what is moving, listen to employee feedback, rotate products,s and make room for new options when something isn't resonating.

Pantries shouldn't be static. Small, data-driven changes can make an office pantry assortment feel much more relevant without necessarily increasing the budget.

Gabrielle: Employee feedback is incredibly useful, too. Some of our Texas workplaces have very vocal employees, in a good way. That feedback can help us understand what people want in their pantry, but it can also reveal ways we can improve the technology and experience around the program.

The more visibility workplace teams have into both employee feedback and consumption, the easier it becomes to make informed decisions.

Does Texas Weather Really Change What Belongs in an Office Pantry?

The short answer: Yes. Cold beverages sell much faster during Texas summers, so stocking levels should follow seasonal consumption, not stay fixed all year.

Ashley: Texas equals humidity.

During the hotter months, cold beverages can move incredibly quickly. That means beverage pars need to reflect actual consumption rather than relying on the same stocking levels all year.

Seasonality also allows us to keep things interesting. Rotating beverages, snacks, and flavors throughout the year helps keep the pantry from feeling stale.

Gabrielle: And because Texas doesn't always give us a traditional fall, people really embrace fall flavors when they arrive.

Pumpkin spice season is a real thing here. When the weather isn't giving you fall yet, sometimes your office coffee bar has to.

What Operational Challenges Do Texas Offices Face?

The short answer: Texas offices deal with large campuses, multiple pantry locations, long delivery distances, heat, and shifting headcount. Accurate pars and clear ordering windows help manage all five.

Ashley: Large campuses, multiple pantry locations, delivery distances, extreme heat, and fluctuating headcount can all affect an office food and beverage program.

Headcount is especially important. If attendance changes significantly, snack and beverage consumption can change quickly with it. Accurate pars and proactive communication help make sure you're stocking for the workplace you have today rather than the workplace you had six months ago.

Gabrielle: Planning matters as well. In a market where locations can be farther apart, the ordering process and delivery schedule need to be clear.

We've even taken feedback from Texas clients and used it to improve the experience within the Crafty platform, including ways we communicate ordering windows and help workplace teams stay ahead of upcoming needs.

What’s One Thing Every Texas Workplace Team Should Know About Office Pantry Programs?

The short answer: Focus on what employees actually use. For Texas offices, cutting slow movers and acting on feedback improves a pantry more than adding new products.

Ashley: Pay attention to what people actually use.

You don't need to keep adding products to make a pantry better. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is remove something that isn't moving and give employees something they'll be excited to find instead.

Gabrielle: And don't underestimate the value of listening. Employee requests, consumption data, and conversations with your workplace team all tell you something.

A great workplace food and beverage program should evolve alongside the people it's serving.

Building a better office pantry in Texas

As companies continue to expand across Dallas, Austin, Houston, and the rest of Texas, workplace food and beverage programs have to keep pace.

That means thinking beyond simply keeping the pantry full. The strongest programs combine reliable office snack, coffee, and beverage service with local knowledge, employee feedback, and real consumption data.

Because whether employees are reaching for cold brew on tap in Dallas, local coffee in Austin,n or an ice-cold sparkling water during a Houston summer, the goal is the same: create a workplace food and beverage experience that fits the people who are actually using it.

Looking for office pantry, snack, coffee, or beverage service in Texas? Learn how Crafty helps companies across Dallas, Austin, Houston, and beyond build workplace food and beverage programs around their employees.