Hey Brooklyn! Get started with $20 off your first subscription of $40 or more.

How to Prepare for a New Era of Office Catering

How to Prepare for a New Era of Office Catering

Employees across the nation are heading back into offices this season, some for the first time in more than two years. Instead of brewing coffee at home, they will stop by their favorite shops on the way into work. Lunches eaten alone in front of a laptop will make way for midday gatherings, and colleagues everywhere will celebrate the return of office happy hours. 

For food and beverage businesses, changes in daily and weekly routines present a big opportunity. The Boston Globe reports that data from Boston-based tech firm ezCater showed a 58% increase in orders between January and February of 2022. ezCater’s chief demand officer Diane Swint told the paper that some firms are actually ordering more than they did before the pandemic to lure workers back: “Companies know that more people show up when food is provided,” she said.

Over the past two years, restaurants have proven they can pivot and adapt to even the most challenging circumstances. This time around, change is all good news—there are just a few key things to do to prepare. Read on, and get ready to serve a crowd.

Bagel Fridays are morphing into Bagel Wednesdays with most workers going into the office during the middle of the week as opposed to pre-pandemic times.

Meet the current demand

For restaurants accustomed to limited dine-in and takeout service, suddenly serving large groups can be a shock. As Art Campos, a restaurant owner in San Jose, California, told ABC7, “It’s like, not practicing for a while—not doing the job—and then now having to jump in with both feet.”

To start, think small(er). Caterers who used to prep platters for hundreds are now building trays for 10 to 30 people, which may represent a more realistic group size for now. People are also booking further in advance, which can help with planning, budgeting, and expectation setting.  

Also, while office catering may have once been a five-day-a-week business, most workers now are only going in a few days a week, and mostly during the middle of the week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (The most popular day in Boston is Wednesday, says Swint.) 

Streamline delivery

When it comes to serving a working lunch, solving the delivery puzzle may be the key to success. Restaurant tech reporter Kristen Hawley wrote in a recent edition of her Expedite newsletter, “As anyone who has ever had to fetch a fancy salad in Manhattan can attest, having the fancy salad come to you is simply a better arrangement.”

Hawley was responding to news from the salad giant Sweetgreen, which recently re-launched its Outpost delivery program (paused during the pandemic) to bring orders directly to participating office buildings. In lieu of delivery charges, employers pay a subscription fee that includes free delivery to all employees in the office. With more than 500 delivery locations, Sweetgreen hopes that Outpost will replace the corporate cooks and deluxe kitchens that once served employees of big companies. 

Beyond customer convenience, there’s another reason to invest in delivery—loyalty. Daniel Shlossman, chief digital officer at Sweetgreen, told the Wall Street Journal, “The Outpost customer is even more frequent than a digital customer that maybe doesn’t have access to an Outpost.” Analysts say special delivery options can give restaurants a big advantage in an increasingly competitive market.

Grow your network

Even if corporate catering isn’t your bread and butter, there’s a good reason for companies to get on board. Catering is an efficient and effective way to introduce your food to many different people at once—and lots of people will need caterers in the next couple of years, thanks to a boom in long-postponed weddings and celebrations. 

For example, Campos told ABC7 that he sees a significant spike in catering interest after corporate events. “The tech giants that I do office stuff for, I also do their baby showers and their weddings,” he says.

In that sense, food and beverage businesses can think of corporate catering as a long-term investment in catering generally, as opportunities for private events will likely follow. 

Round out your business

Though the outlook is good for office catering, don’t hedge your whole business on it just yet. It’s better to think of catering as one part of your omnichannel strategy—a complement to in-store dining, retail, ecommerce, and other sales avenues. 

For example, the Boston Globe cites one bakery and cafe that moved forward with a catering expansion in 2020, hiring staff, purchasing vans, and entering a larger facility. Then, they waited. That investment is only just now starting to pay off—a big upfront cost that not every business can afford to carry.

Finally, the return to offices will be slow, uneven, and unpredictable. The Wall Street Journal reports that office occupancy is only at 40.6% across 10 major cities in the U.S. Ultimately, no one knows what the future of the workplace holds in the COVID era, or how workers’ routines will continue to evolve, so it’s smart to scale up slowly.

Employees across the nation are heading back into offices this season, some for the first time in more than two years. Instead of brewing coffee at home, they will stop by their favorite shops on the way into work. Lunches eaten alone in front of a laptop will make way for midday gatherings, and colleagues everywhere will celebrate the return of office happy hours. 

For food and beverage businesses, changes in daily and weekly routines present a big opportunity. The Boston Globe reports that data from Boston-based tech firm ezCater showed a 58% increase in orders between January and February of 2022. ezCater’s chief demand officer Diane Swint told the paper that some firms are actually ordering more than they did before the pandemic to lure workers back: “Companies know that more people show up when food is provided,” she said.

Over the past two years, restaurants have proven they can pivot and adapt to even the most challenging circumstances. This time around, change is all good news—there are just a few key things to do to prepare. Read on, and get ready to serve a crowd.

Bagel Fridays are morphing into Bagel Wednesdays with most workers going into the office during the middle of the week as opposed to pre-pandemic times.

Meet the current demand

For restaurants accustomed to limited dine-in and takeout service, suddenly serving large groups can be a shock. As Art Campos, a restaurant owner in San Jose, California, told ABC7, “It’s like, not practicing for a while—not doing the job—and then now having to jump in with both feet.”

To start, think small(er). Caterers who used to prep platters for hundreds are now building trays for 10 to 30 people, which may represent a more realistic group size for now. People are also booking further in advance, which can help with planning, budgeting, and expectation setting.  

Also, while office catering may have once been a five-day-a-week business, most workers now are only going in a few days a week, and mostly during the middle of the week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. (The most popular day in Boston is Wednesday, says Swint.) 

Streamline delivery

When it comes to serving a working lunch, solving the delivery puzzle may be the key to success. Restaurant tech reporter Kristen Hawley wrote in a recent edition of her Expedite newsletter, “As anyone who has ever had to fetch a fancy salad in Manhattan can attest, having the fancy salad come to you is simply a better arrangement.”

Hawley was responding to news from the salad giant Sweetgreen, which recently re-launched its Outpost delivery program (paused during the pandemic) to bring orders directly to participating office buildings. In lieu of delivery charges, employers pay a subscription fee that includes free delivery to all employees in the office. With more than 500 delivery locations, Sweetgreen hopes that Outpost will replace the corporate cooks and deluxe kitchens that once served employees of big companies. 

Beyond customer convenience, there’s another reason to invest in delivery—loyalty. Daniel Shlossman, chief digital officer at Sweetgreen, told the Wall Street Journal, “The Outpost customer is even more frequent than a digital customer that maybe doesn’t have access to an Outpost.” Analysts say special delivery options can give restaurants a big advantage in an increasingly competitive market.

Grow your network

Even if corporate catering isn’t your bread and butter, there’s a good reason for companies to get on board. Catering is an efficient and effective way to introduce your food to many different people at once—and lots of people will need caterers in the next couple of years, thanks to a boom in long-postponed weddings and celebrations. 

For example, Campos told ABC7 that he sees a significant spike in catering interest after corporate events. “The tech giants that I do office stuff for, I also do their baby showers and their weddings,” he says.

In that sense, food and beverage businesses can think of corporate catering as a long-term investment in catering generally, as opportunities for private events will likely follow. 

Round out your business

Though the outlook is good for office catering, don’t hedge your whole business on it just yet. It’s better to think of catering as one part of your omnichannel strategy—a complement to in-store dining, retail, ecommerce, and other sales avenues. 

For example, the Boston Globe cites one bakery and cafe that moved forward with a catering expansion in 2020, hiring staff, purchasing vans, and entering a larger facility. Then, they waited. That investment is only just now starting to pay off—a big upfront cost that not every business can afford to carry.

Finally, the return to offices will be slow, uneven, and unpredictable. The Wall Street Journal reports that office occupancy is only at 40.6% across 10 major cities in the U.S. Ultimately, no one knows what the future of the workplace holds in the COVID era, or how workers’ routines will continue to evolve, so it’s smart to scale up slowly.

Doron Segal
Doron Segal

Hey I'm Doron, the co-founder & CTO of Per Diem — a mobile app platform for restaurants. I'm also a dad and a husband. I love to travel and meet new people.I love creating things, and see people using the stuff I built.Prior to Per Diem I worked at Saildrone, OpenTable, Apple, Beats Music, Siemens.

Tomer Molovinsky
Tomer Molovinsky

A second time founder with a passion for building products at the intersection of hospitality and technology. I've had the pleasure of launching reservation systems, mobile payment solutions, and loyalty programs at OpenTable and Resy, and witnessed how operators were losing a direct connection with their customers online. We built Per Diem to strengthen the relationships that businesses have with those customers, and to ensure that local businesses can thrive in today's economy.

Ashley Rodriguez
Ashley Rodriguez

Ashley is a freelance writer and podcast producer based in Madison, Wisconsin. She hosts a podcast called Boss Barista and writes an accompanying newsletter with full transcripts of each episode and articles about coffee and restaurant work. You can check out her work here (ashleyrodriguez.work/).

Explore featured restaurants and cafes

How Fly Boy Blue’s Mobile App Strategy Sets a New Standard for Perth Coffee Shops
How Fly Boy Blue’s Mobile App Strategy Sets a New Standard for Perth Coffee Shops
Read Case study
What Creative Strategies Keep Crave Cookies' Sales Growing Week After Week?
What Creative Strategies Keep Crave Cookies' Sales Growing Week After Week?
Read Case study
Great UX & Unlimited Coffee: Why Fresh Baguette Chose Per Diem Over Craver
Great UX & Unlimited Coffee: Why Fresh Baguette Chose Per Diem Over Craver
Read Case study
How Palace Coffee Co. Achieved a 25% Sales Increase By Switching to Per Diem
How Palace Coffee Co. Achieved a 25% Sales Increase By Switching to Per Diem
Read Case study
What Sets The Bagelers Coffeehouse Apart from Others in Chicago
What Sets The Bagelers Coffeehouse Apart from Others in Chicago
Read Case study
How Dough & Co. Saves Big by Switching to Per Diem for Pizza Deliveries
How Dough & Co. Saves Big by Switching to Per Diem for Pizza Deliveries
Read Case study
How is Primal Bowls Leveraging the Mobile App to Fuel Expansion?
How is Primal Bowls Leveraging the Mobile App to Fuel Expansion?
Read Case study
Why Teaven’s Mobile Ordering Success Is a Model for Other French Tea Brands?
Why Teaven’s Mobile Ordering Success Is a Model for Other French Tea Brands?
Read Case study
How Mid Atlantic Seafood Leverages Per Diem’s App for Higher Delivery Sales
How Mid Atlantic Seafood Leverages Per Diem’s App for Higher Delivery Sales
Read Case study
How Crave Cookies Shifted to Per Diem to Challenge Crumbl
How Crave Cookies Shifted to Per Diem to Challenge Crumbl
Read Case study
Coffee Dose Cafe's Winning Website Strategies for App Promotion
Coffee Dose Cafe's Winning Website Strategies for App Promotion
Read Case study
How Bakeries Like Chip City Use Referral Programs to Increase Customer Counts
How Bakeries Like Chip City Use Referral Programs to Increase Customer Counts
Read Case study
Skip the Line: How Groovy Goose Coffee Streamlined Orders With a Mobile App
Skip the Line: How Groovy Goose Coffee Streamlined Orders With a Mobile App
Read Case study
How Boba Bliss Drove Sales Through Mobile App Coupons
How Boba Bliss Drove Sales Through Mobile App Coupons
Read Case study
What Makes Iron Paffles & Coffee Stand Out in Charlottesville
What Makes Iron Paffles & Coffee Stand Out in Charlottesville
Read Case study
How Kona Coffee Roasters Transformed NYC’s Commuter Coffee Culture with Per Diem
How Kona Coffee Roasters Transformed NYC’s Commuter Coffee Culture with Per Diem
Read Case study
How Kimchi Box Became Michigan's Favorite Restaurant With Mobile Ordering
How Kimchi Box Became Michigan's Favorite Restaurant With Mobile Ordering
Read Case study
How Arkansas' the Busy Bean Tops Charts on Google Play With a Custom Mobile App
How Arkansas' the Busy Bean Tops Charts on Google Play With a Custom Mobile App
Read Case study
How Crema Coffee & Soda is Satisfying Customers in Utah With a Soda Pop App
How Crema Coffee & Soda is Satisfying Customers in Utah With a Soda Pop App
Read Case study
How Lucky Coffee Boosts Mobile App Adoption Through Email Campaigns
How Lucky Coffee Boosts Mobile App Adoption Through Email Campaigns
Read Case study
How Per Diem Helps Oaks Coffee House Give Back to The Chattanooga Community
How Per Diem Helps Oaks Coffee House Give Back to The Chattanooga Community
Read Case study
Run Your Cafe Like a Bank: How Ethereal Cafe Created a Starbucks-Style Mobile App
Run Your Cafe Like a Bank: How Ethereal Cafe Created a Starbucks-Style Mobile App
Read Case study
From One-Timers To Regulars: How Empire Tea and Coffee Transformed Customer Loyalty with Per Diem
From One-Timers To Regulars: How Empire Tea and Coffee Transformed Customer Loyalty with Per Diem
Read Case study
How Cosmic Coffeehouse Teamed Up with Per Diem and Square for an Out-of-This-World Grand Opening
How Cosmic Coffeehouse Teamed Up with Per Diem and Square for an Out-of-This-World Grand Opening
Read Case study
How Kino's Coffee and Others Have Boosted Their Sales with Push Notifications
How Kino's Coffee and Others Have Boosted Their Sales with Push Notifications
Read Case study
Coupon Codes That Work: Chip City's Free Cookie Strategy for Customer Acquisition
Coupon Codes That Work: Chip City's Free Cookie Strategy for Customer Acquisition
Read Case study
From Local Comfort Food to High Tech: How Joanie’s Modernized Operations
From Local Comfort Food to High Tech: How Joanie’s Modernized Operations
Read Case study
Rebranding a Bubble Tea Brand: How Niko Niko Boba Expanded Beyond Chatime
Rebranding a Bubble Tea Brand: How Niko Niko Boba Expanded Beyond Chatime
Read Case study
How Plomo Quesadillas Won Over Gen-Z With Square Loyalty
How Plomo Quesadillas Won Over Gen-Z With Square Loyalty
Read Case study
The Perfect Blend: How Coffee Dose Boosted Brand Loyalty with Per Diem
The Perfect Blend: How Coffee Dose Boosted Brand Loyalty with Per Diem
Read Case study
Ambee Coffee's Rebrand and Per Diem: A Match Made for Expansion
Ambee Coffee's Rebrand and Per Diem: A Match Made for Expansion
Read Case study
Why Kino's Coffee Switched Mobile Apps: A Case Study in Improving the Customer Experience
Why Kino's Coffee Switched Mobile Apps: A Case Study in Improving the Customer Experience
Read Case study
How DoorDash Drive and Per Diem Fueled Masala Wok and Tikka Shack's Delivery Dreams
How DoorDash Drive and Per Diem Fueled Masala Wok and Tikka Shack's Delivery Dreams
Read Case study
Per Diem's Square Integration: How Island Flavor Streamlined Operations
Per Diem's Square Integration: How Island Flavor Streamlined Operations
Read Case study
Hidden Grounds Case Study: When Apps Meet Customer Loyalty, Magic Happens
Hidden Grounds Case Study: When Apps Meet Customer Loyalty, Magic Happens
Read Case study
Scan for a Free Cookie: How Chip City's QR Codes Drove App Adoption
Scan for a Free Cookie: How Chip City's QR Codes Drove App Adoption
Read Case study
Close Line
Try Per Diem
Sign up for our monthly newsletter for all the latest in local restaurant trends, industry insights, and Per Diem product updates.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Close Line

Unlock new insights and trends by
downloading Ultimate Guide for Launching a Mobile Ordering App.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Close Line