More now than ever before, workplace culture is an integral part of building a successful business. A strong culture embodies the values, beliefs, and attitudes of the organization, and needs to be cultivated thoughtfully in order to hit the right notes with employees.

According to the Employment Resource Center (ERC), a positive workplace culture “attracts talent, drives engagement, impacts happiness and satisfaction, and affects performance” at every level of the organization. And in a competitive marketplace, it can be difficult to find ways to differentiate your corporate culture from the rest. There is one way, however, that you can stand out from the crowd: healthy corporate catering services.

The Power of Office Breakfast and Lunch Catering

It’s popular for corporate offices to incorporate a wellness program into their organizational culture, which helps employees focus on their health and well-being outside of their work responsibilities. Many of these wellness programs can include perks like in-office yoga classes, mindfulness meditation sessions, and group fitness or weight loss challenges. But in order for a corporate wellness program to truly work, it must include healthy food as well. Everybody needs food, and having easily accessible healthy options available will keep your company happily nourished, healthy and optimally productive.

Regular breakfast and lunch catering in the office is a great way to achieve this aspect of a wellness program. Even if you choose to have office catering once a week, it can have a positive impact on your office culture and, ultimately, on your bottom line. Corporate catering services will benefit your office in the following ways:

• Encourage Healthy Eating Choices. While you can’t control the ways in which your employees choose to eat, you can help to expose them to healthier food options through office catering. You can even make it interactive by also having a cooking demonstration in the office that day, or providing employees with recipes for the food that is served to help them replicate the effort outside of work.
• Boost Morale. It might seem like a small thing, but regular free lunches can actually have a big impact on employee morale. Responses to a Seamless survey about employees and food found that 60 percent said that having free food at the office would make them feel more “valued and appreciated.” Additionally, 45 percent of those surveyed said that “the availability of free lunch would strongly influence their decision to accept a job offer.”
• Build Relationships. Food has the power to bring people together, which is a valued aspect of office culture. The Seamless survey also revealed that 60 percent of respondents felt that lunch catering would “encourage them to eat with their colleagues,” aiding in interoffice bonding and a friendlier, more collaborative work environment.
• Save Money (For Everyone). In addition to providing the bonus benefit of saving your employees money, corporate catering services would also end up saving the company money in the long run. An article published in the Harvard Business Review used data points to demonstrate that healthy employees simply cost employers less money. They cited a study that found that “every dollar invested in [a health intervention] yielded $6 in health care savings.” The article goes on to say that healthy employees also aid in talent retention, recruitment, and overall happiness.

Discover Gourmet, Healthy Corporate Catering Services

If you think that your office is ready to invest in corporate catering services, Grateful Plate has a variety of meal options that can satisfy a range of needs, including gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and more. Check out our lunch catering menu options for your office to get started today!