Forget the $15 Smoothie: LA Workers Just Want Water
NOVEMBER 2, 2026. Whether it's a celebrity endorsed Erewhon smoothie or an adaptogen latte, Los Angeles has a reputation for pricy beverages. At the office, though, Angelenos keep it simple. Plain water makes up 69% of everything LA offices pour from their Bevi machines. That's the highest share of any of the 25 most populous U.S. cities, including San Francisco, New York City, and Boston.
We looked at anonymized dispense data from thousands of Bevi machines in corporate offices to see just how LA workers are staying hydrated at work, when offices are busiest, and how LA worker preferences compare to those in other cities.
Here's what it told us:
LA at a glance
- 69% of what LA offices pour is plain water, the most of any of the 25 biggest U.S. cities.
- +53%: LA chooses Lime Mint 53% more often than the national average, and Cucumber 47% more often.
- -36%: LA chooses Lemon 36% less often than the rest of the country.
- 25% of LA's weekday pours happen on Tuesday, its busiest day. Friday has just 11%.
- 1 in 4 LA office drinks is poured before 9AM or after 5PM, more than in San Francisco, Boston, or New York.
LA has a reputation for wellness trends, but keeps it simple at the office
Among corporate offices in the 25 most populous cities in the United States, Los Angeles pours the most plain water. Still or sparkling water with no flavor added makes up 69% of LA's total dispensed volume.
San Francisco comes close at 67%. New York (64%) and Boston (60%) trail further behind. Whatever LA's reputation for wellness trends, the most popular drink in its offices is the simplest one.
When LA adds flavor, it trades Lemon for Cucumber
When Angelenos do add flavor, they lean fresh and herbal. Lime Mint and Cucumber are each about 50% more popular in LA than they are nationally:
- Lime Mint: 4.4% of LA's flavored dispense time vs. 2.8% nationally (+53%)
- Cucumber: 7.6% in LA vs. 5.2% nationally (+47%)
Classic citrus falls behind Lemon, which accounts for 10.6% of flavored dispense time nationally but just 6.7% in LA, 36% lower. Think spa water, not lemonade.
The LA workweek peaks on Tuesday
Tuesday is the busiest day in LA offices, with 25% of all weekday pours. Activity stays high through midweek, then drops sharply. Friday is the quietest day, at just 11% of weekday pours.
LA starts early and stays late
One in four LA office drinks (25%) is poured before 9AM or after 5PM. That's the highest share of the four markets we compared. In San Francisco and Boston, it's 21%, and in New York, it's 20%.
LA's busiest hour is 12PM, the same as Boston and San Francisco. New York is the only one of the four that peaks at 9AM.
LA office trends: FAQ
Anonymized dispense data from Bevi smart beverage dispensers in corporate offices, Monday through Friday, January 1 to August 31, 2026. No individual or company is identified.
We analyzed millions of weekday pours from Bevi machines in Los Angeles corporate offices between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2026.
Corporate offices are workplaces where employers provide Bevi machines as a free amenity for employees. This includes, but is not limited to, companies in the Finance, Technology, and Entertainment industries. Machines in other settings are excluded, so the results reflect office workers only.
Los Angeles. Plain water makes up 69% of what LA offices pour, the highest of the 25 most populous U.S. cities. San Francisco (67%), New York (64%), and Boston (60%) follow.
Still or sparkling filtered water with no flavor or enhancement added. We measured it as a share of total dispensed volume.
For plain water, the 25 most populous U.S. cities, based on U.S. Census Bureau 2025 estimates. For flavors, all U.S. corporate offices. For day and time patterns, San Francisco, New York, and Boston. City figures use exact city and state matches.
Lime Mint is 53% more popular in LA than nationally, and Cucumber is 47% more popular. Lemon is 36% less popular.
By each flavor's share of total flavored dispense time. A drink poured with two flavors gives its full dispense time to each flavor.
Tuesday, with 25% of weekday pours. Friday is the quietest, at 11%. That's in line with San Francisco (11%) and ahead of Boston and New York (about 9% each).
One in four LA office drinks (25%) is poured before 9AM or after 5PM, the highest of the four markets compared. We defined 9-to-5 as 9:00AM to 4:59PM, using each machine's local time.
At 12PM local time, the same as Boston and San Francisco. New York peaks at 9AM.