Office Pantry Checklist: What to Stock and What It Costs

By Robin Salvador, co-founder, Caffeine Brothers
Last updated: November 4, 2026

Quick answer: A basic office pantry in the Philippines needs safe drinking water first, because Republic Act No. 11058 requires it in every workplace. After that, most offices stock coffee, sugar, creamer or milk, cups and stirrers, and a few snacks. For 25 people drinking 2 cups a day, plan on about 11 kg of coffee and 4.6 kg of sugar a month. On November 4, 2026 prices, brewed Robusta with a teaspoon of sugar costs about ₱8.07 a cup, or ₱8,878.19 a month for 25 people.

A pantry is one of the first things new hires notice and one of the easiest line items to lose track of. This checklist sorts what the law requires from what is optional, then prices the usual items with dated government and shop prices so you can build a monthly budget. It is written for HR and admin teams at small and mid-sized offices in the Philippines. It is general information, not legal advice. For the cost of coffee alone, see our office coffee cost per cup guide.

What does the law require in an office pantry?

The Occupational Safety and Health Standards law, Republic Act No. 11058, was approved on August 17, 2018. Section 19, on workers’ welfare facilities, says every establishment and place of work “shall have” the following:

• an adequate supply of safe drinking water;
• adequate sanitary and washing facilities;
• suitable living accommodation for workers, as may be applicable; and
• separate sanitary, washing and sleeping facilities for men and women, as may be applicable.

Section 12 lists “provision of workers’ welfare facilities” as part of the safety and health program every covered workplace must have. Under Section 28, an employer who willfully fails to comply with OSH standards or a compliance order can be fined up to ₱100,000 per day until the violation is corrected, with the maximum reserved for violations that expose workers to a risk of death, serious injury or serious illness.

DOLE Labor Advisory No. 1, s. 2023, reported by the Philippine News Agency on January 16, 2023, restated this for food and waterborne diseases. It says employers must provide free welfare facilities, including adequate safe drinking water and sanitary and washing facilities. It also says businesses that make, process, sell or serve food to the public need permits from the local health office under the Code on Sanitation (PD 856). An internal pantry that only stores snacks for staff is a different setup, so check with your local health office if you plan to cook or sell food.

Nothing in these rules requires coffee. What the Labor Code’s implementing rules do cover is the break itself: rest periods of 5 to 20 minutes count as hours worked. Our guide to coffee breaks under the Labor Code explains that rule.

Office pantry checklist: what to stock

The table groups the usual items by priority and gives a dated price reference where a government or shop source lists one. Items without a source price, such as paper cups and stirrers, vary too much by supplier to quote.

The DTI’s Bantay Presyo bulletin is the reference for packaged items. The latest one on the DTI file server is effective May 11, 2026. In October 2026, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said prices of the basic necessities and prime commodities under DTI supervision will not rise until December 31, 2026. GMA News reported the commitment as covering about 204 products on October 23; the Daily Tribune reported 190 SKUs on October 26. Either way, coffee, processed milk and bottled water are on the list, so the prices above should hold through the holidays.

How much does a cup of office coffee cost?

To compare options fairly, the next table prices one cup. Brewed coffee uses 10 g of grounds, which is inside the National Coffee Association’s guideline of 1 to 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces of water. Sugar uses the USDA FoodData Central weight of 4.2 g for a teaspoon of granulated sugar. For condensed creamer, USDA lists 38.2 g per fluid ounce of sweetened condensed milk, so one tablespoon is about 19.1 g; we used that weight with the DTI price for Jersey Sweetened Condensed Creamer.

The cheapest sachet costs less than a cup of brewed coffee, but the two are not the same drink. A sachet comes pre-mixed with sugar and creamer, while a brewed cup carries a full 10 g of ground coffee and lets each person decide on sugar and milk. Our 3-in-1 vs brewed coffee comparison covers the label data, and condensed vs evaporated milk looks at the creamer side.

What is a realistic monthly pantry budget?

This table assumes 2 cups per person per working day and 22 working days a month. That is a planning assumption, not a measured average, so adjust it to your own headcount and habits. A quick count of the cups used in one week is the most reliable way to set your own number.

Two things stand out. First, a 25-person office goes through about one 10 kg wholesale box a month, so a single standing order is usually enough. Second, the add-ins matter less than people expect: a teaspoon of sugar adds ₱0.34 a cup, while switching from sugar to condensed creamer adds about ₱1.84. Water for brewing barely registers; our coffee shop water cost guide puts a cup’s worth at under ₱0.02 on 2026 Metro Manila tariffs.

How to set up and run an office pantry

1. Start with water. Set up safe drinking water and a hand-washing area first, since these are the items RA 11058 requires.
2. Count your drinkers. Ask staff how many cups they drink a day and whether they take sugar or creamer. The difference between 1 and 2 cups halves or doubles the budget.
3. Pick one main coffee format. Brewed coffee from a 10 kg box suits offices with a brewer and a regular crowd; drip bags suit small teams and visitors; sachets suit offices with no equipment.
4. Set a reorder point. Reorder when you reach one week of stock. At 25 people that is about 2.75 kg of coffee and 1.2 kg of sugar.
5. Store coffee sealed and away from heat. Keep opened bags closed between uses and buy in quantities you will finish within a few weeks.
6. Check prices each quarter. DTI suggested retail prices are frozen until December 31, 2026, but sugar is not on that list and moves with the market.

If you buy wholesale coffee from us, we can also add pantry supplies such as non-dairy creamer, white or brown sugar, muscovado, paper cups and stirrers to your order on request. Ask for them on our wholesale page quote form.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Republic Act No. 11058, Occupational Safety and Health Standards. Labor Law PH Library, approved August 17, 2018 (page modified April 25, 2024). Used for Sections 12, 19 and 28
2. DOLE sets rules in workplaces vs. food, waterborne diseases. Philippine News Agency, January 16, 2023. Used for Labor Advisory No. 1, s. 2023
3. Basic Necessities and Prime Commodities Suggested Retail Prices. Department of Trade and Industry, effective May 11, 2026. Used for 3-in-1 coffee, creamer, milk, water and bread prices
4. DTI: No price hike for basic necessities, prime commodities until year-end. GMA News, October 23, 2026. Used for the price commitment and 204 products
5. DTI assures no price hikes for basic goods until year-end. Daily Tribune, October 26, 2026. Used for the December 31, 2026 commitment and 190 SKUs
6. Weekly Average Prices, October 26 to November 1, 2026. Department of Agriculture Bantay Presyo. Used for refined, washed and brown sugar prices in NCR markets
7. FoodData Central SR Legacy dataset. USDA Agricultural Research Service, April 2018 release. Used for portion weights (granulated sugar 4.2 g per tsp; sweetened condensed milk 38.2 g per fl oz)
8. How to brew drip coffee. National Coffee Association, last updated December 5, 2024. Used for the 1 to 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces ratio
9. Wholesale coffee. Caffeine Brothers, prices checked November 4, 2026. Used for 10 kg box, 1 kg bag and drip bag prices

Stocking an office pantry? Our wholesale coffee comes in 10 kg boxes with free Metro Manila delivery, and coffee drip bags work without a brewer. Questions? Contact us.