Everybody loves free food, and companies have learned free food is great for business. The popularity of office lunches has increased steadily as studies have shown how offering food at work can increase employee morale and company satisfaction. Not only that, you can aid in the health and mental hygiene of your employees as well. The socialization encouraged through shared office meals helps create stronger professional relationships within your teams and can fight the office blues we often get through work-related isolation. At this point, it’s almost a no-brainer to offer free food at work, right? We’ll go over why office meals have become an essential part of corporate culture with a few ideas on what works best for office catering.
Why Office Meals Should Be a Standard Perk For Employees
Productivity is the overlying benefit you receive from providing office meals. According to a study conducted by Engagedly, engaged employees are 21% more productive than employees who aren’t. Engagement can mean many different things, but one of the big ways to engage with your employees is by improving their happiness and approval of the company they work for. Whether it’s helping your team bond through shared meals, creating fun experiences through catering, or just giving your employees a healthy meal, productivity will be the end result.
The Benefits of Offering Office Meal Delivery
Now that we’ve gone over the general idea that free food turns into productivity, let’s touch on the specifics.
Providing your staff with food that’s good for their bodies (and mind!)
Having heavy, oily foods regularly can start to wear you down. Eating healthy helps your employees have more energy and cognitive function and will be less likely to call out sick. They can be more present with their work, both figuratively and literally.
Tax breaks
Did you know office meals count toward tax deductions? You can get a 50% tax deduction for the free food you provide for your employees. This can make it even easier to implement a food program that your employees will love without eating the entire cost.
Keep your staff, attract new talent
Being happy with the company you work for is vital for company culture, and providing them with food is the perfect way to do that. In a USA Today study, on average, job satisfaction ratings jumped from 56% to 67% when free food was offered in their office. Shared company meals will help improve the perceptions your company has as well, increasing the likelihood of attracting new staff.
Bring the team together
Having an attractive spot with food for your staff to hang out gives them the ability to learn more about each other. This can help start the incubation process on new ideas or help your employees blow off steam from a tough workday.
Types of Meals That Work Best For Office Meal Delivery
If you’re considering office meals by this point, you might be wondering where to even begin. We’ve got some great ideas for how you can make your office lunches work perfectly for your staff:
- Bento boxes are the perfect grab-and-go lunch for busy staff members. It’s always nice to sit down and dedicate time for lunch, but sometimes this just isn’t possible. You can even offer bento boxes with other food to have options for every employee’s needs.
- Staffed catering is a great option for companies with a larger staff, or for specialized meals that require serving in some capacity.
- Buffet-style meals allow everyone to serve themselves how they’d like. This can help you save money on staffing and is super customizable. You can have a breakfast buffet, build your own burritos, or an ice cream bar. We talk more in-depth about how you can make exciting employee meals here.
- Luxury meals for special occasions. Fancy meals on holidays, Employee Appreciation Day, or your business’s anniversary can enhance the positive effect meals have on your company image. You can create memorable experiences to enhance the power of your meal program.
Office lunches are fairly flexible when it comes to what you can and can’t do, it’s mostly dependent on what you and your staff want.
Why You Should Choose Specialized Corporate Catering Over Meal Delivery Apps
Corporate catering takes away decision fatigue and makes it even easier to feed your staff. You won’t have to juggle communications with a meal service driver or get your order rejected for being too large or worry about wasted funds from employee meal credits going unused. Specialized corporate catering apps have niche expertise in getting you the best possible office catering experience.
Companies like Zerocater can even remember your previous orders and give you new suggestions based on your staff’s preferences. You can easily add on staffing if needed, and get price quotes that work with your budget and company size. Zerocater has a big catalog of some of the best restaurants in your area too, working with whatever dietary restrictions you might have within your staff. Overall, it makes more sense to choose a service that specializes in catering instead of trying to mess around with regular food delivery services.
Getting Started With An Office Meal Delivery Service
If you’re ready to try office catering, Zerocater is here for you. It’s an easy-to-use application with unmatched flexibility, giving you the ability to budget out your perfect office lunch catering. When you’re ready to get started, let us get you a quote based on your business needs and preferences. Just click the “get started” button and tell us more about your business, budget, and what you’re looking for. We look forward to hearing from you!
