NEWS
New workplace eating data finds employees and decision- makers at a crossroads over lunch Boston-based food tech platform ezCater released its 2026 Workplace Cafeteria Report, and you might want to have a seat in your desk chair to read some of the more surprising statistics.
is rising, employees’ use of corporate cafeterias is not, according to the report, which found more than half of organ- izations have already cut back on café operating hours. The data shows 36% of office decision-makers who oversee cafeterias say companies should plan to decommission them in favor of alternate solutions. “The workplace has fundamentally evolved, and how employees deal with food is following suit,” said Nihad Rah- man, CEO of ezCater, in a statement. “By pivoting to a flexible restaurant-pow - ered model, companies can decrease overhead costs and complexity, increase employee satisfaction, and support local restaurants. Great food is a powerful catalyst for culture, making time spent in the office truly worthwhile for every employee.” The report surveyed 600 cafeteria decision-makers and 1,000 employees who come into the office at least once a week and have access to a corporate cafeteria and also those who previously had access but don’t anymore. Cited in the report, Melissa Allinder, operations director at Kansas City com- mercial real estate operating company NorthPoint Development, reported ini- tially looking into remodeling an exist- ing cafeteria, but “due to cost and over- head, it seemed more logical not to.” As in other food markets, the custom- ers are concerned with value in the form of affordability, flavor, quality and con - venience. | Photo courtesy of ezCater
Another issue raised in the report is an alienated workforce. According to the report: “While 87% of leaders rate their workplace cafeteria food as good or excellent, less than half (48%) of employees agree, marking a 12% year- over-year drop in employee satisfaction. This divide, coupled with rising prices, is driving workers away from cafeterias: 29% cite high prices as a primary reason for option out.” The report also pointed to hybrid work schedules as an obstacle for corporate cafes, which makes logical sense, when you consider days and hours might be staggered throughout the week, espe- cially in offices where desks are shared. Here are a few more statistics from the ezCater data that are worth noting: • 67% who oversee a cafeteria in a hy- brid work environment say their goal is bringing employees into the office • 75% of decision makers say corpo- rate dining needs to evolve or be reim- agined •29% of employees say they’ve stopped eating at their company’s cafe- teria because it got more expensive • 42% of employees with onsite din- ing say they’d like healthier foods, a 15% increase from last year • The #1 complaint about corporate cafes from employees is “Not enough variety,” followed by too few options, too expensive, limited hours and long lines/wait times.
BY TARA FITZPATRICK
S hould corporations ‘earn’ the return to office by offering more foodservice… or less? A new workplace data report from ezCater reveals some big bumps in the road at the intersection of returning to the office with dining, as corporate leaders take hard looks at overhead, fixed costs, perks, flexibility and more when it comes to corporate cafeterias. The central question seems to be one of balancing the cost of running an onsite foodservice operation, making employ- ees actually want to come back to the office and the different options availa - ble, such as food-ordering platforms like ezCater, that some say are more flexible. One bit of information in the data shows a certain lopsided-ness about re- turning to office: while office attendance
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QUARTERLY | Q2
PHOTO COURTESY OF EZCATER
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