Fit for Future Facility

 

Construction for the new “Fit for Future” spaces on the 3rd Floor at the Support Office is complete!

Please take a look at the exciting changes!

 

Completed Updates:

January 5, 2024:

Tasting Room North

  • Utilize this space when vendor partners visit and want to showcase products.
  • If products require simple cooking or food prep, vendors can use the galley kitchen to prepare samples.
  • Can be used as a regular conference room when not used for sampling. This room comes equipped with conference capability.

How To Book Space: This room is available to book via Outlook. Your request will be pending until confirmed by the Culinary Team.  Please reach out to the Culinary Team for additional assistance.

 

Tasting Room South

  • Utilize this space when vendor partners visit the Support Office and want to showcase products.
  • If the products require simple cooking or food prep, vendors can use the galley kitchen to prepare samples.
  • The Tasting Room South can also be used as a regular conference room when it’s not being used for sampling. This room comes equipped with conference capability.

How To Book Space: This room is available to book via Outlook. Your request will be pending until confirmed by the Culinary Team. Please reach out to the Culinary Team for additional assistance.

 

Sensory Kitchen

  • Sprouts Brand team members will utilize this space to quality test existing products and sensory test new products.
  • Before, we couldn’t test products using domestic appliances. Now, new kitchen appliances will mimic how our consumers prepare food at home.
  • We’ll encourage our vendors to utilize this space to partner with us to create and develop new, innovative concepts and products.

How To Book Space: This room will primarily be used by the Sprouts Brand team. However, if you’d like to book this space, please reach out to Ricky Singh for assistance.

Culinary Kitchen 

  • Where our Culinary Team works their magic!
  • You’ll find them here cooking up flavorful concepts for our deli and meat cases, as well as working with cross-functional partners.

How To Book Space: You’ll find our Culinary Team here every day. However, if you’d like to book this space for a specific meeting with your vendor that would warrant needing this kitchen, please reach out via email to the Culinary Team for assistance.

 

Presentation Room

  • This space can hold up to 30 people and can be utilized to host large events with both internal team members and external partners.
  • There is a sliding door between this space and the Sensory Kitchen to allow for expanded usage for cooking preparation needs. This room comes equipped with conference capability.

How To Book Space: This room is available to book via Outlook. Your request will be pending until confirmed by Michelle Bowen. Please reach out to Michelle for additional assistance specifically if you also require the Sensory Kitchen for your meeting.

 

Team Member Breakroom

  • This newly designed space is for our team members to use as a breakroom.
  • Relax and recharge in your new breakroom equipped with two refrigerators, four microwaves, coffee and water machines, and seating.
  • PSSST… Be on the lookout for freebie samples on the shelves outside the breakroom!

 

Storage and Utility Room

  • This newly designed space is a utility space and storage area for our merchant teams.

Updates as of October 3, 2023:

Phase One Complete 
Phase One, which transformed the Oklahoma Conference Room into two new bookable tasting rooms or conference rooms, with an adjoining galley kitchen, is now complete (with a few minor touches needed) and turned over to the Sprouts project team!

 

Temporary Use of Tasting Rooms and Galley Kitchen
The Culinary team is now using the new South Tasting Room and the Galley Kitchen temporarily until the construction is complete. The North Tasting Room is being used to house some of our sample refrigerators and freezers, and dry goods storage racks, until all construction is complete. These areas will not be available for team member use until after January 1, 2024.

 

Phase Two Started
Phase Two, which will transform the 3rd Floor areas currently used by the Culinary kitchen, the team member West Breakroom, and storage room, has begun and is progressing as planned. Demolition work is essentially complete along with rough framing. Inspections and drywall work will start soon.

 

Helpful Reminders for Team Members
Construction activity is scheduled through mid-December.
During regular construction activity, it may be loud and noisy for some time.
Team members are reminded that there are 12 “hotel spaces” to use on the 2nd Floor for anyone whose work is disrupted by the noise.
Team members are encouraged not to discuss construction matters, schedules, or construction-related information directly with the construction crew or supervisor.
For any construction-related questions, please reach out to Ricky Singh, Project Lead.

 

Interesting Tidbits:
The red picnic tables and benches that were used on the third Floor West Breakroom have been relocated to 5410 building, 3rd Floor patio for use by our team members. Some of our furniture was donated to a local food bank.

Recent Pictures:

 

Location, Location…

September 6, 2023

 

New Location for 3rd Floor Refrigerators:
The three refrigerators in the 3rd floor breakroom area have been moved to new locations. One is in at a nook on 3rd Floor near the restrooms. The two others are in the nook area on 2nd Floor, near the swings. These refrigerators will be cleaned regularly, as always.

3rd Floor East Breakroom
Here you’ll find two microwaves and a coffee machine.

No Access to the Third Floor West Breakroom Area
Support Office staff will not have access to this area as of Monday, 9/18/2023.

Two tasting rooms and a galley kitchen serving these two rooms have been created in the former Oklahoma conference room. Framing, flooring, and painting has all been completed and we are waiting on inspection approvals before reopening the space.

Next Steps
Phase II construction began the week of September 18, and will cover the 3rd floor breakroom, the storage area, and the culinary kitchen spaces. Before construction starts, these areas will be emptied and cleared.

  • Some furniture, equipment, and appliances will be moved temporarily, and other furniture and fixtures may be donated to a local food bank.
  • Until all construction is completed, the newly created spaces in the Oklahoma tasting rooms will temporarily house some of the culinary equipment, department refrigerators and freezers, and some dry goods storage.

Alternate Breakrooms
Team members can use the breakrooms located on the 2nd and 4th floors, once the 3rd floor West breakroom is no longer available.

  • Several refrigerators will be moved to other locations and more microwaves will be added to other breakrooms as well.
  • Additionally, a new, temporary location for “free goodies” for team members will be determined, so stay tuned!
    Don’t forget to use the “hotel spaces” as needed during the construction as needed. Check out The Vine for all the details!

What We’re Working On:

  • We’re reconfiguring space on the 3rd floor, including the Oklahoma Conference room and the 3rd floor breakroom, to provide an updated breakroom, tasting room, and remodeled kitchen space.

 

 

Why We’re Doing This:

  • More Space: The Culinary Kitchen space on the 3rd floor where Chef Matt and his team work, is at capacity. We need more space and elbow room!
  • Putting the Customer First: Our kitchen doesn’t have consumer-grade appliances. With these appliances, we’ll test our food preparation using the same types of appliances our customers would use at home. This will help ensure the quality of what we prepare matches what our customers prepare.
  • Professional Space for Tasting: We’re adding “tasting” spaces where our vendors can meet with us to share their products and where the Sprouts Brand team can hold their Quality and Sensory Testing sessions. We’ll create a professional space where we can hold these types of meetings.

 

What This Means for Support Office Team Members:

  • Construction has started and will continue until mid-December.
  • The Oklahoma Conference room is no longer available for scheduled meetings.
  • It will be loud, and it will be messy – but this is what needs to happen for the growth of our organization!
    • Dirt and dust are unavoidable, but we’ve hired a cleaning person specifically to keep the areas around construction clean.
  • Team members cannot enter the construction zones at any time. The construction crew will use the stairs when possible, and will wear visible badges to ensure we know who should be in the building.
  • We’ve carved out 12 “hotel spaces” to use on the 2nd floor for anyone whose work is disrupted by the noise.
    • You can work from those areas as a non-permanent workspace in the Support Office.
    • Talk to your manager for Work From Home requests.

 

This is an exciting time for Sprouts continued growth!

 

Resources: