Staples rolls out Mote's new break room

It’s no secret that Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s property buzzes with scientists every day.

But sometimes, those scientists double as poets - and contest-winning ones at that.

In November, Mote was selected as the winner of the Ultimate Breakroom contest sponsored by Staples. The facility’s award was a makeover of its current break room, which is one described as bleak with a leaky faucet.

Mote senior scientist Robert Hueter wrote a limerick as part of Mote’s contest application.

It reads as follows:

Our company’s called Mote Marine Lab

And our staff is absolutely fab,

But our break room is bleak,

Where the faucet does leak,

And the cabinets are so ultra-drab.

We do have a microwave oven

No longer deservin’ of lovin’

And a fridge that’s a scare,

With brown creatures in there,

Plus a sink that’s prone to floodin’.

All manner of insects abound

And the lights all make a weird sound.

It’s as if the room’s haunted

By bad lunches unwanted

With the ghosts of the dead all around.

The ceiling was installed in the seventies

Its fungus and stains aren’t amenities!

True, the floor has been waxed

And has not yet collapsed,

But it’s beginning to eat our extremities.

So Staples, we seek your alliance!

We’re a nonprofit studying science,

But our breakroom is SAD

And we need your help BAD

Before we lose all of our clients!

So, Staples stepped in with $50,000, and on Feb. 22, Mote employees finally saw the new room.

The room features a coastal theme with “Mote blue” accents. The wooden table legs also give off rustic vibes, which Staples designer Kelly Gailbraith said was her mission. The mail room, which took up a large part of the break room is now gone, was replaced with more than 200 mailboxes neatly aligned against one of the walls.

Staples Area Vice President John Rash said the company narrowed down the applications to three which then highlighted Mote as a “clear-cut winner,” considering what it does in the community.

Mote President and CEO Michael Crosby said this will act as “Mote’s family room.” Earlier this month, Crosby announced plans for the Mote Science Education Aquarium to be built at Nathan Benderson Park, but on Thursday, he joked the new break room trumps that announcement.

Staples also handed backpacks during the room unveiling, and each Mote employee got to take one home. 

With all new appliances and hints of color in the new room, the old break room is now a thing of the past.

And yes, the break room has a new sink that doesn’t leak. In fact, the new sink is Gailbraith’s favorite part.