Whether they’re rushing to get ready, finishing morning chores, or fighting rush-hour traffic (or all three), workers often arrive at their jobs stressed – and hungry. That’s because the last thing many people make time for in the morning is breakfast – according to ezCater’s latest research.

As many as 60% of workers skip breakfast on two or more days per week, reports ezCater’s survey data. That’s a significant number of hungry workers; but it could be a huge opportunity for employers. What if they were to step in and provide breakfast? Employees would love having one less task to worry about in the morning. And, they’d appreciate the nourishing gesture as well.

Why are workers skipping breakfast?

Let’s understand why workers skip breakfast in the first place. In ezCater’s survey, 42% of workers said they just don’t have enough time to prepare a meal before leaving for work. Whether they’re last-minute snoozers or early-morning exercisers doesn’t change the fact that time is often too tight to sit down and eat.

Another reason breakfast is off the table? It could be a change in eating habits post-pandemic. When people worked from home, they had more flexibility. They could plan their day with a bit more freedom and could easily pop into the kitchen for a snack whenever a hunger craving struck.

Now, people are returning to pre-pandemic routines, it’s back to the “same old, same old,” with long commutes, structured working hours and limited office kitchens. Once again, many are struggling to find enough time to prepare their breakfast.

How to turn everyone into a morning person

Skipping breakfast doesn’t just hurt individuals — it can also affect your company’s bottom line. When a person doesn’t eat breakfast, their metabolism could be slower, making them sluggish and foggy throughout the day. ezCater’s research backs that up. It shows that 67% of the employees themselves believe that skipping breakfast affects their productivity. 

But what if you could make every member of your staff a morning person? Not only would you avoid that productivity slump, but you actually might gain extra gusto from your well-fed workers. They won’t be distracted by hunger pangs (or hangry outbursts), and they’ll have the energy to dive into projects first thing in the morning.

There are a few different ways to provide this boost. For example, you can set aside time for arriving workers to enjoy a complimentary breakfast of healthy food. Or get rid of that glazed-over look during morning meetings by providing some glazed donuts instead.

If you’re still not convinced, consider that 57% of employees in an ezCater survey would appreciate the effort if their employer gave them a complimentary breakfast at work. Would it motivate them to be more productive during the day? You’d better believe it, as a majority of those in the survey said a gesture like this would increase their overall motivation.

What’s the most popular breakfast food?

But what should you feed those ravenous mouths? ezCater took a look at the most popular breakfast foods, broken down by category and generational demand. The results are interesting. The top three favorite breakfast foods to eat at work are (drum roll please!):

Breakfast sandwiches are the most popular across generations, with 30% of Gen Z/Millennials and 32% of Gen X/Boomers ranking them number one on the mouth-watering scale. They’re easy to eat at your desk, as you can hold them in one hand while responding to emails with the other.

Catered breakfast is the answer

You might think that offering breakfast is a slam-dunk, but despite these encouraging stats, most employers haven’t awakened to the opportunity. Only one in 10 breakfast meetings (9%) is always catered and only one in five (19%) is catered often. Many employers are missing a golden chance to impress their staff, jumpstart productivity and make a real difference.

But what business has the time and resources to spend contacting restaurants, collecting orders and organizing deliveries? Your workers already have enough on their agenda, and adding to their responsibilities definitely cancels out the benefits of a breakfast offering. That’s where breakfast catering comes in. It’s a way for you to offer breakfast without the hassle of arranging it all on a daily basis.

Thankfully, ezCater is here to help. As a leading technology platform purpose-built for food for work, ezCater partners with over 100,000 restaurants nationwide. And ezCater does more than just breakfast. We provide food for lunch and various special events, too. We’ll work with any group size, dietary need or budget and offer award-winning customer service. No wonder we get orders from 93% of Fortune 500 companies.

Join the catered breakfast revolution

Usually, you don’t want to add more to your workers’ plates… but in this case, we don’t think they’ll mind. Having breakfast waiting for them when they get to work or enter a morning meeting is a fabulous opportunity for bosses to put a checkmark in the win column. Boosted productivity? Check. Better morale? Check.

If you’re ready to add breakfast to your company’s morning routine, explore ezCater’s breakfast catering options near you.