By now, you’ve likely heard all about what a great idea providing meals for your employees is. Nearly all workers (94%) feel a sense of “lunch-citement” if their office provides catered lunch. But you’re not quite sure how to pitch the idea of employee meal solutions to upper management.

We’re here to help. Use the strategies below to convince your higher-ups that providing lunch for workers is a win-win solution for the entire company.

Show the benefits of providing food to employees

First, gather stats about the benefits of employee meal solutions. Higher-ups love to look at numbers, so prepare to supplement your pitch with data that can’t be disputed.

Explain how food boosts employees’ productivity

Studies show that happy employees are more productive. Additionally, healthy meals can raise productivity levels by 20%.

You can double-dip into that productivity boost by providing a healthy lunch for workers in your company. We surveyed over 1,000 employees and found that 46% of workers said taking lunch made them happier. Plus, 47% of respondents reported that a lunch break provided them with better mental clarity, and 25% felt more creative in the second half of their workday.

The problem is many employees aren’t taking fulfilling lunch breaks. Some never take a break away from their desks, and 70% report eating while they work at least once per week. 

Additionally, workers can’t always afford a nourishing meal. More than half of employees spend over $11 for lunch. Respondents said that saving money is the best benefit of free lunch at work. In fact, 87% of employees wish their workplaces offered free lunch and time to eat with coworkers.

Illustrate how food improves attendance

If you serve it, they will come. Food brings people together, and providing free meals is a proven way to get workers back into the office.

Remote and hybrid workers can be convinced to return to the office with food — one in four workers said they would return to the office in person, full-time, if catered lunches were available. Moreover, 20% said they plan to travel to the office three to four days a week to reap the benefits of free meals.

Providing a new employee breakfast or lunch is even more effective — especially for younger generations. In our survey, 87% of Gen Z respondents said they’d work on-site “frequently” if free lunch were provided, followed by 75% of Millennials and 58% of Gen X, with Boomers last at 57%.

Showcase how food can help you retain staff

Over 4 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in May 2023. Employers struggle with retention in the current economic landscape, but catered lunch breaks are a perk that can help retain current and draw in potential employees.

Workers report that taking lunch improves their work/life balance, makes them feel more productive and able to accomplish more work, and reduces burnout. Providing lunch for workers saves them money and helps them feel valued, both of which are sought-after attributes in the modern workplace. A whopping 89% of employees say that free food makes them feel appreciated — it’s a sure way to inspire loyalty.

Provide a cost analysis

The cost of lunch is at the top of mind for employees. The potential savings of regular, free meals can significantly impact their finances and morale.

And the same can be said for companies. That’s because the return on investment (ROI) of providing employees with a free lunch can be as much as 150%. Here’s how:

1.    By serving healthy food, you can improve employee health. Poor employee health results in $227 billion of lost productivity every year. However, every dollar spent on employee health and wellness reduces healthcare costs by $3.27. Regular, healthy meals can result in a boatload of healthcare savings and increased productivity for the company.

2.    By providing a catered lunch, you’re keeping employees in the office. This prevents workers from taking extended lunch breaks outside the office and wasting company time.

3.    By serving lunch in a centralized location, you improve employee social interaction and collaboration. Rather than eating alone at their work desk or breaking off into small pods when taking lunch outside the office, catered lunches foster team building among your entire office. A stronger team will pay off in dividends down the road.

So yes, food costs money, but in the long run, it can save your company more than its cost and increase overall productivity. Along with improving retention rates, it’s easy to see why supplying lunch for office workers is worth the investment.

Take a company survey

One last strategy to consider — ask your coworkers.

Conduct an informal survey asking your peers if they’d appreciate a free, catered lunch with various meal options to choose from. Have them share their excitement with personalized feedback or a star scale they can use to show how excited they are at the prospect of catered lunches.

Then, present your in-house findings alongside the industry statistics we shared above to form your pitch. With this data collected from your own company, you’re sure to impress.

Pitching lunch for workers to leadership

Providing employee meal solutions is a win-win for workers and the company. You know this — you now need to convince leadership that it’s true.

With the information on this page, you have all of the tools you need to put together a solid presentation. Remember that although free lunches are a great way to reward workers, it’s the company that will reap the greatest benefits from employee meal solutions. Focus your pitch on how introducing employee meal solutions will enhance worker productivity, improve employee attendance and retention, and provide a substantial ROI.

Then, show leadership how easy it is to build a food program for your organization with ezCater. Want to learn more about our flexible corporate catering solutions? Reach out to someone on our ezCater team for a customized plan.