According to so many accounts, even from sources who were the first to sound the initial lockdown alarms, we're nearing the end of the pandemic phase of Covid. While the first few weeks and months saw a rush away from the workplace in favor of the home office, the reverse is eventually going to happen, too. For business and industry foodservice professionals, it's important to plan for a return to corporate dining, as well.
Right now is the perfect time to consider upgrades to corporate dining and B&I foodservice. Many businesses and institutions are reimagining their employee cafeteria and dining spaces. Ensuring that a variety of healthy and satisfying meals are available allows staff to stay onsite for dining, which can help employees connect beyond their work desks. Onsite food lunch areas that serve food can also help corporations boost revenue and make them more attractive places to work.
The Essentials of a Corporate Cafeteria
Corporate cafeterias have the ability to serve individual companies or multiple businesses that are staffed within one building. Depending on the nature of the corporation, operating hours for cafeterias might include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks available throughout the day. Meals are often paid for by employees and onsite patrons, but some offer company discounts or may comp meals entirely as an employee benefit.
While some companies choose to operate their foodservice sector in-house, others opt to employ a cafeteria management company to handle all aspects related to effort. Either way, the critical goal is to serve high-quality food that keeps employees on campus, cultivates interaction, and ultimately enhances both creativity and productivity in the workplace. High-profile employers like Google have made their corporate dining program central in the effectiveness of operations, and more and more companies are following suit, especially in today's labor-starved workforce. Dining is a benefit.
Great Corporate Dining Starts with Food and Menu Execution
Every exceptional corporate foodservice environment begins with great ingredients and the commercial foodservice equipment to store and process it, equipment to perform tasks like refrigeration, food prep, cooking, displaying, and serving. Having the right set of tools allows the chef to produce food that will satisfy employees and keep their minds focused when they get back to their desks.
When it comes to the food being offered, offering some quick grab-and-go items like salads, yogurt containers and wraps are convenient for some who might need to get back to their desks. But having a diverse menu of hot and cold fresh items that rotate each day can provide nutritious options to customers, along with keeping them on campus instead of heading off-site to purchase food. And the food supplies used are as important as the menu items. Using fresh ingredients from reputable vendors can help create anything from the fluffiest omelet to the perfect pizza.
Other Benefits To On-Campus Dining
In addition to additional profits seen from the sale of meals and drinks, companies can reap other benefits from having an on-site cafeteria. Studies show that employees want to have healthier food options available at their place of work. And employees who take their breaks and eat healthy choices are more focused on their work throughout the day.
An on-site place for employees to grab a bite to eat also provides community space outside of the office space. Having a location to grab a snack and have a private conversation with fellow employees can provide a positive work culture and help show the office is more than just desks and computers. You don't have to hire celebrity chefs like some companies have been rumored to do, but it is a benefit to everyone when business reimagine their corporate cafeterias and dining programs.
Foodservice Equipment to Consider
In corporate dining, the keys are quality and efficiency. What can a director do to provide high-quality foods that will keep employees onsite while also delivering it efficiently enough to get them back to their desks quickly?
Combi Ovens - Allow operators to deliver high-quality foods created in a wide range of cooking styles. They can be used overnight to help with efficiency and labor.
Ranges - The heart of the commercial kitchen, ranges provide the benchmark cooking methods delivered in B&I settings.
Shock Freezers - Preserve food quality and extend shelf life with shook freezers.
