As hybrid workplaces and smaller real estate footprints become the norm, it seems that the  “golden age of the corporate cafeteria” is in flux. You can probably remember not too long ago when infamous on-site cafeterias were a bragging right among well-fed employees at places like Conde Nast, Hallmark, and Google. But some thought leaders – including top executives and the New York Times – have observed that those fancy, pre-COVID corporate eateries have become a “lonely place,” and are in fact out of touch with today’s changing workforce. 

“The efficiency of an on-site, fully staffed cafeteria just isn’t working in this new world,” agrees Diane Swint, ezCater’s Chief Demand officer. She should know, considering that ezCater has become the most trusted provider of corporate food solutions by expanding its offerings to address new demands and fill the cafeteria lunch void.

Take a look at some of the reasons why companies are rethinking their cafeterias, and reimagining new ways to keep their workforce well fed.

Scaling back on cafeteria real estate and staffing

When you think about real estate expenses and the fact that fewer people are coming into most workplaces five days per week, it’s no wonder why organizations from Meta to KPMG and countless others are deciding to reduce their office footprints. In doing so, they are becoming more mindful about creating more flexible spaces.

“Do you want to pay for a huge portion of your square footage to be dedicated to a kitchen that people are cooking in? Do you want to staff it five days a week when the new work week in an office tends to be Tuesday through Thursday? And then you start thinking about bad weather days when nobody comes in…” says Swint.

Given that some companies may not even have a good handle on how many people will report on-site on any given day, it stands to reason that keeping a fixed cost cafeteria up and running isn’t the best use of corporate spending. 

Meeting new digital and dietary expectations

Over the last couple of years, people have become more accustomed to ordering things on their phones and not having to wait in line. “I was at Starbucks today and the whole place was full of people waiting for their mobile order. That’s just how it works now,” says Swint. The same goes with ordering food at restaurants – people no longer prefer to wait in line to order food, especially if it cuts into their valuable work lunch hour. 

Relish by ezCater was a solution born out of the mobile order/contactless food delivery age. It lets employees do their own ordering online or via the Relish app, and have food delivered to them at a specific time of their choosing, providing a better user experience than standing on a cafeteria buffet line.

“​​If you’re taking a lunch break and your food is ordered ahead of time and it arrives at your workplace, it increases collaboration time as opposed to wait time, and it’s a better use of your break from work,” says Swint. “And, you come back a little bit more refreshed.” 

Even better, workers get to customize their meals based on flavor preferences and dietary restrictions.

“It’s very important to companies that their employees feel included, and they feel that they belong. And when they’re able to order their own food and put their dietary preferences into a platform that propagates to any restaurant that they’re at, it just makes everyone’s life easier,” says Swint.

Whether you are Keto or Kosher, you’re able to pick the food that works for you. “That feels good – you feel like you belong and you’re included in that work environment.” 

Thinking about sustainability

Did you know that businesses with cafeterias generate an estimated 7 to 11 billion pounds of food waste every year? Any company that has made an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitment should recognize that food waste is a huge problem. “Companies want to be able to report that what they’re doing is done in a sustainable way. And so if you don’t have a bunch of food being made that nobody’s eating, that’s a really easy way to be able to report on less food waste,” says Swint.

Being able to order just the right amount of food for the people who are at work on a given day is a game changer compared to the old cafeteria model. “Not having 60 pounds of potatoes in the back that you’re never going to use? That’s preventing food waste, which is good for everybody,” says Swint.

Increasing employee engagement with food

Food as a perk has been the norm for decades, says Swint. In fact, ezCater’s Lunch Report found that free lunch is the second most preferred work perk, just behind extra vacation days. 

That said, the concept is evolving in our post-Covid, hybrid working world. 

“We’re up on the three year mark, which seems unbelievable but true. And I think companies are still trying to figure it out,” she says. One realization is that free food can serve as a way to encourage people to work on-site on particular days, or more often. 

For example, New York-based SeatGeek increased their attendance five-fold when they used Relish by ezCater to provide free food, says Swint. And unlike staffing a cafeteria, they didn’t have to guess how much food to bring in, or hire anybody to prepare the food. All they had to do was have the employees download an app to place their order. ezCater also helped a large financial services company roll out a “Lunch on Us,” program. “We heard anecdotally that badge swipes were up 20% when they instituted this program,” says Swint. 

That is consistent with ezCater’s survey finding in which 65% of workers said they are willing to plan their in-person office visits based on whether or not complimentary catered lunch is being offered that day. 

When you think about it, food benefits could provide the best bang for your benefit buck. “If you give your whole employee base a gym membership, you will not get the same ROI as if you give them that value in sandwiches,” says Swint. 

Of course, even if you don’t subsidize every lunch, or just want to cover a portion of the cost (you can easily adjust the subsidy amount via the ezCater platform), there is still value in offering employees a convenient, easy-to-order lunch option. 

Variety and supporting local businesses is the spice of (work lunch) life

Would you rather eat at the same cafeteria salad bar everyday, or have a virtual food court in your workplace? “This move away from a cafeteria means having choice, having variety,” says Swint. Not only does it introduce employees to new and diverse cuisines, but it helps support local restaurants and caterers.  

“Employees feel good that they’re supporting the local small businesses all around their workplace,” says Swint, and in many cases, they are helping BIPOC-owned businesses. “Having a platform that allows them to have visibility into who owns those restaurants is incredibly important.”

Are cafeterias poised to become a corporate relic?

It’s anyone’s guess as to where the future will lead us, but one thing seems certain: Everybody’s looking for flexibility and choice, says Swint. And with the right tools and technology, the new virtual cafeteria will continue to improve. “The employees who are eating are giving feedback on what is good and what is not. And that is constantly curating a better and better lunch experience for the people ordering,” says Swint. 

As more people access and embrace flexible, agile food at work solutions, saying goodbye to the cafeteria of yesteryear may become the most logical business conclusion.