Corporate catering in 2023: how to deal with today's challenges?

Always strongly impacted since the health crisis and the implementation of telecommuting (-30 e CA between August 2019 and August 2022 (1)), company catering is constantly evolving in order to meet the new expectations of employees.

Employees no longer necessarily eat lunch at the company restaurant, they have developed other habits. What are then the levers to make employees come back for lunch or at other times of the day?

Social link with colleagues, commercial catering codes, warm and hybrid living spaces open all day...But also quality meals at the best price, fresh, local and seasonal products, in line with ecological issues... The Adoria experts present the new trends in corporate catering in 2023.

Towards flexible and customized catering

The digitalization of corporate catering is no longer a trend, it has been an established practice for over two years now.

Since the health crisis, we've noticed an evolution of the classic company canteen towards something more dynamic, with the use of connected objects and the creation of new spaces: everything is thought out to meet up with employees at any time of the day.

But digitalization is also a way to learn about employees' habits and preferences to encourage them to consume on the spot, directly in the workplace.

Traditional canteens are transforming

The traditional company canteen is disappearing from the landscape to make way for a modern catering service with flexible hours, no longer just limited to the lunch break.

The beginnings of trends recently observed are gaining momentum:

• Online ordering is increasingly available to workers, either as a takeaway or by delivery to the workstation. It is even possible to take your meal with you in the evening for the next day's telecommuting.
• The installation of connected fridges is multiplying, rather as a complement to the restaurant, allowing all-day catering. Local and balanced dishes, from appetizer to dessert through drinks, offering both a meal and a gourmet break in the day.
• The dining spaces are also evolving and the traditional canteen is accompanied by new break rooms, coffee shops or hybrid relaxation spaces. These new rooms with a warm setting are equipped with adapted furniture and decoration (sofas, beverage and delicacy dispensers, kitchen sink, and sometimes even a terrace or balcony) to encourage breaks and accentuate the social link with colleagues.

Loyalizing employees and promoting well-being in the company

To keep your employee in the company during meal times, you have to bet on the customer experience and their satisfaction.

To do this, corporate catering can focus on quality products and attractive pricing - a strong point in the current economic crisis.

Engaged consumption while limiting the economic impact

One of the challenges of 2023 for corporate catering? Offering quality products without impacting the employee's budget, which is already suffering from inflation and rising energy costs. For this, several avenues can be proposed.

Fresh and eco-responsible products, even in companies

Sustainable catering is starting to develop in French companies. The idea is to limit its carbon impact while improving the quality of its meals. This new trend includes several principles to implement within your company:

• Limit the carbon impact of products by promoting short circuit;
• Collaborate with local producers for fresh and better quality products;
• Fight against waste;
• Optimize heating and lighting to reduce consumption.

The collective catering of company has a real role to play by the quantity of meals served per day. But the 2023 trend is also to make the employee an actor of his food to limit his impact on the planet.

Company catering at reasonable prices

The current context is already tense. From an economic point of view, the challenge is to avoid an increase in meal prices that would add further tension after the increase in energy prices in general.

Providing quality meals at reasonable prices also contributes to the well-being of employees at work. The interest for managers is therefore to take care of the collective catering.

Employees' favorite dishes

According to a study conducted by Foodles (connected canteens for corporate catering), the favorite dishes of French employees in corporate catering are those of Italian cuisine - the Conchiglie - and Southeast Asian cuisine - the chicken satay sauce. We also find the burger in the top 3, but we also notice a significant interest in vegetarian cuisine, increasingly appreciated by French employees.

Employees' choices and habits are still evolving in 2023, with trends influenced by current events and climate issues. To remain attractive, companies must orient catering to the preferences of the French.

[1] Source Food Service Vision Strategic Review.