Denver Has the Slowest Return to Office in the Country. Here's What Makes the Commute Worth It.
Quick answer
Denver office visits are still down 50% from 2019. That's the worst of 11 big U.S. cities.
About 1 in 3 workers say free food and drinks would get them into the office.
Good coffee, fresh food and a full pantry make office days worth the drive.
Denver is in last place. Placer.ai tracks office visits in 11 big U.S. cities. Denver's visits are still down 50% from 2019. Across the country, they're down 32.5%. Colorado Public Radio reported the numbers in September.
If you run a Denver office of 100 or more people, you may already feel it. A rule alone isn't filling the building. The real question is what makes the trip worth it.
What would bring people back?
Free food and drinks rank near the top. In Owl Labs' 2025 survey, 32% of workers said free or low-cost food and drinks would get them into the office.
The reason is simple. At home, coffee and lunch are free and just steps away. At the office, they can mean a long line and a café bill. Close that gap, and the commute feels like less of a trade.
How do I make the office worth the drive?
Make the coffee better than home. A bean-to-cup machine makes lattes and more. It gives people a reason to stay in the breakroom instead of leaving the building. See office coffee
Feed people on office days. A micro market keeps fresh salads, sandwiches and snacks on site day and night. People pay with a card or phone, and you can cover the items you want to be free. See micro markets
Stock a pantry for team days. If your team has set office days, a full pantry makes them feel like a treat, not a chore. See pantry service
Keep it full. A half-empty fridge on a Tuesday undoes the effort. Regular restocks, based on what people use, make the breakroom something people can count on.
Why does the breakroom work better than other perks?
Happy hours and catered lunches help, but they happen once. The breakroom works every day, for everyone on site. That includes hourly and front-line staff who may miss the big events.
It's also where the unplanned chats happen. And those chats are a big part of why offices exist.
Is this different in Colorado?
In some ways, yes. Many Front Range offices sit in suburban office parks in Aurora, Englewood and the Denver Tech Center. There, the nearest coffee shop is a drive, not a walk. On those sites, coffee and food on site matter even more.
Where do we start?
We work with offices across Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and the Front Range. We start with a walkthrough of your space. Then we look at how your team uses it. From there, we suggest the right mix of coffee, pantry and micro market for your office schedule.
Get started. Contact us
