π Is The Corporate Cafeteria Dead?
Office Cafes Have Not Evolved and Still Aren't Meeting Our Health Needs
As of The Writing of Todayβs Newsletter, Corporate Cafeterias Still Seem To Be Stuck in the 2000s
and have not made many noticeable improvements.
If Iβm spouting misinformation, please, let me know where the healthy, non-pizza-centric corporate cafes are.
The de-utilization of offices over the past four years means that the old slide-your-tray-down-the-line style cafe is simply not in vogue anymore.
But could it be? Is there a way we can AI/futurize our way to a healthy cafeteria at the office that doesnβt serve processed garbage?
Or are we just going to be Uber Eatsing our way into more obesity on our lunch breaks?
Newsletter Summary
What companies should do to make sure that chronically inactive employees are not compounding on their health issues
Why employees of smaller companies will need to work harder for their gains
Questions about corporate cafeterias
Is the Corporate Cafeteria Dead?
Employee Benefit News seems to think so.
They argue that catering foods from startup food companies like EZCater is more sustainable, healthier, and more cost-effective.
Honestly, Iβm going to have a tough time arguing against that, but Iβll try anyway.
Some cafeterias have taken the initiative, to their credit, to provide healthier food.
The second-most desirable work perk, after all, is free lunch, right after (you guessed it) extra vacation days, so it might as well be enjoyable and nutritious in 2024.
Whatever market is left for corporate dining simply has to be focused on things other than pizza, donuts or anything that looks like a middle-school lunch.
Recent Top Chef Winner Brooke Williamson is teaming up with food service behemoth Sodexo to βredefine corporate dining,β bringing more sustainable and plant-based options to the (literal) table.
And while that news might sound absolutely fantastic, Sodexo only has 25% of the corporate dining market share in its portfolio.
They predominantly service colleges, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and healthcare providers, according to 6sense, a revenue data website, which is great news for college students and nurses.
But for those of you working in HR, marketing, sales, finance, and all of the other non-Sodexo industries⦠we may still have a ways to go before improvements.
Aside from generally healthier meals, some companies may consider adding a virtual/technological component to their cafes.
To drive real behavioral change in the cafeteria, where sometimes ravenous employees may just grab the first thing they see, a chatbot-style nutritionist in the cafeteria could help tremendously.
I hope no oneβs thought of that yet. This is my IPβ¦
Imagine walking up to your cafe, typing βhigh-protein mealβ into a screen, and having a Whole Foods-esque walkway to your ideal meal for lunch.
With the recent obsession in low-glycemic foods, it might also be wise to consider foods low on the GI scale, that is, foods that donβt spike your blood sugar (think complex carbs, grass-fed meats, and fiber) too dramatically.
Small Company, Smaller Budget
This list of corporate cafeteria solutions may only work for large companies in the near term.
A tone-deaf New York Times article from early last year seems to acknowledge that the giants of corporate America are prioritizing down-sizing, whilst not providing any sort of solution for the βless-flashy cornersβ beyond EzCaterβs βRelishβ platform.
If youβre working for a startup or even a medium-sized company, youβll inevitably have to use more willpower to eat smarter on your lunch breaks.
Most benefits teams are fighting harder for lunch stipends, which are a great way to attract and keep good talent.
The problem is the optionality that comes with choosing your lunch options from nearby restaurants. This can get especially dangerous in big cities, where processed food overlords like McDonaldβs, Subway, and Chick-Fil-A seem to be on every other corner.
For in-office workers who consistently reckon with the lunch struggle, the battle starts at bedtime the night before.
Easier said than done, of course.
What Do You Think Is Next?
The other day, after the Celsius newsletter dropped, I had a few people (for like the first time, ever) respond to the newsletter saying they were waiting for me to talk about that topic, which made me really happy.
I also hope itβs the start of something more common β you guys, the readers, helping fuel the discussion and providing regular context to the things I write about.
So I ask youβ¦
What do you think is the solution for Return-To-Office (RTO) lunches? Do you work in a Sodexo-style, futuristic workplace where the cafe is up-to-par with the latest health information? Or is your company still living in the past?
I want to hear from you about how your workplace Is or isnβt meeting your standards.
I, for one, work from home a lot and travel from client to client, so I donβt have the luxury of a corporate cafeteria (if we can even call it a luxury anymore). All I hear is the things my clients tell me, and one of them told me the state of things in this arena wasnβt great, so here we are.
I look forward to featuring some replies and some testimonials in future newsletters.