New Corporate Dining Trends to Adopt in 2023

From office buildings to healthcare facilities, these complexes feature various staff and guests who come and go on a daily basis. Of course, all of these people have to eat. That means the cafeteria or dining area needs to run smoothly to support it. Like other applications in the foodservice industry, corporate dining has new concepts to make that happen. Our guide lists some of the latest corporate dining trends you should look to implement this year.

Mobile Ordering

Mobile is taking over in many other food and retail spaces, and they’re starting to become a growing corporate dining solution. Many dining spaces or cafeterias added ordering kiosks in the last decade to help cut down on long lines and wait times. However, creating a mobile-friendly website or app that lets users order food from their smartphones also can resolve those issues. Not to mention, most consumers have grown accustomed to ordering and purchasing from their phones.

So how can you pull this off? Build an app with a full menu of items and checkout system to successfully order. When staff join the team, you can encourage them to download the app. For guests, make sure to post QR codes throughout the building so they can enter a mobile website or the app to order ahead of time. To help avoid crowding, create a separate space where mobile orders can be picked up.

Partnering with Local Restaurants & Food Trucks

Using and supporting local businesses has gotten more popular in recent years. One way to support your restaurants is by having neighborhood restaurants set up shop in your cafeteria or common space. For instance, you can reserve one or two days a week where a local eatery serves up some of their new or signature dishes to employees or guests.

Another fun idea is to have one day a week where popular food trucks set up shop outside for breakfast or lunch. In fact, if you feel like treating your employees to a special meal or coffee bar, there are food truck catering sites that let you book them in advance for an hourly or flat fee.

Meatless Options

From fast food to fine dining, many restaurants are starting to offer more vegetarian and vegan options. Aside from salads and sides, look for hearty items that folks love. Vegetarian dishes like mac and cheese or eggplant parmesan sandwiches are delicious and always filling.

Vegan options have really grown in popularity over the last decade, and there are so many dishes to choose from. Some fun menu ideas might include veggie pasta, tofu scramble or vegan chorizo nachos that everyone can enjoy as meat or dairy substitutes. Also, plant-based patties provide a solid alternative to ground beef burgers.

Sustainable Packaging

Sustainability not only helps you maintain a green footprint, but it’s also something that many patrons feel strongly about. Corporate dining halls and cafeterias should be playing their part by using eco-friendly disposables to serve food and drinks. For example, there are a wide variety of biodegradable takeout containers, dishes, cups and utensils that are sturdy and not harmful to the environment.

Reusable containers are a new corporate dining trend that helps encourage sustainability as well. Made from durable plastics to be used multiple times, the containers are placed in a drop box in and around your facility. After they’re collected, the containers are cleaned and sterilized and used again. This helps save money long term by limiting purchases on disposable takeout containers and keeps single-use plastics from being wasted.

Touchless Payment

Using touchless payment via a mobile app is used in various applications and should be more commonplace in corporate dining. Popular payment apps like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Square Cash and Google Pay are no-brainers to incorporate for your employees and guests.

To use this seamlessly, you’ll need to find equipment that can let users scan their phone or applicable card to pay for items. It shouldn’t require a lot of new hardware. A tablet or smartphone can be transformed into a register. Just make sure to upgrade or change your POS software to accept touchless payment solutions.

Mocktail Menu

Not only are mocktails gaining popularity in bars and restaurants for those who want to stay sober, but they’re also great for corporate dining as well. Non-alcoholic drinks are a must-have for those who are on the clock, so why not make the drinks more fun for those adventurous diners? Mocktails are usually created with seltzer water and a variety of syrups and fruit flavors. Try pairing the beverages with what is on the menu to make corporate dining a full experience.