Redefining “Let’s grab lunch”
How one company is changing the game when it comes to healthy choices for the workplace
It’s been a while since I was last employed in a “traditional” office environment. I look back at that time of my life with fond memories of my cube mates, “work spouses”, and rituals like the aunnual chili cookoff, morning trips to Starbucks and even the “Biggest Loser” contest. I’ve worked in my fair share of environments: some that were rows of cubes, others all private offices, storage closets in the back of retail stores and most recently in open, shared desk coworking spaces.
What I find fascinating is that no matter what the business, office layout or size of company the best memories, most engaging dialogue and even some successful ideas took place in the office kitchen. It might be my Italian heritage, but there is just something about breaking bread that really helps foster a great conversation. This fact hit me like a 2x4 when I attended the Coworking Europe Conference in Barcelona this past November. On a panel about coworking culture, an operator from Sweden shared that daily lunch was included in their membership and that he was proud of the fact that often “real business got done” in the kitchen.
Think to yourself how often you hear the phrase “Let’s grab lunch.” or the amount of gchat conversations you’ve had to the extent of: “Who’s up for Chop’t?”, “Do you want to go to Chipotle?”, or even a response I still get quoted for to this day: “Quizno’s again? I’d rather be waterboarded”. If you are in an urban area chances are that you’ve got choices within walking distance. Find yourself in a suburban office park and if you didn’t bring it with you, your best bet is the closest drive-thru. Having food service on site is an added expense no matter the scale: whether it’s a full blown cafeteria or catered lunches, it’s still an additional line item expense in the budget.
If only there was a way to offer employees fresh and healthy food, that they could easily get at any time with out having to leave the office. Enter Company Kitchen, a Kansas City, MO based company that offers employers not only a great in-office catering solution but also an integrated workplace wellness program. Individuals can easily head to the kitchen, choose from a selection of affordable, fresh and portion friendly items, check out and with a scan of their finger print pay for their lunch.
Keeping employees engaged through emails and in-kiosk promotions, companies can run specials to get folks to eat healthier by subsidizing certain items (get that apple and you’ll get a discount on your total bill). In the future, there will be an HR Welness Platform where companies can let departments, groups or teams track nutritional information to implement rewards and incentive programs. Integrating platforms such as Company Kitchen into a workplace is a great way to offer your employees a reason to hang around the kitchen and engage with their coworkers rather than running out to grab some fast food to eat in their cube.
