Introduction
Foodservice providers offer a variety of benefits to their clients, including cost savings and healthy meal options. When choosing a food service provider, it is important to consider their history of successful implementations, communication style and responsiveness, and commitment to quality food choices.
Some companies offer a catering service for special events, while others specialize in one type of meal service.
For example, some foodservice providers focus on delivering only healthy options to their employees. In contrast, others work with any budget and can provide the employee with cost-sensitive meal solutions.
Therefore, it is important to understand the services offered by foodservice providers, as well as their style of communication and level of commitment to quality food selection, before making a final decision.
What is a cafeteria food service provider?
A cafeteria food service provider is a company that specializes in providing food services to businesses and organizations.
This can include delivering meals to employees, setting up and managing a company cafeteria, or providing catering services for special events.
History of cafeteria food service providers
Cafeteria food service providers have been in existence for many years. For example, the company Canteen Vending Operations began providing food service to United States Army soldiers in 1904 after receiving a contract from the Quartermaster General to provide all meals for U.S. troops outside of their regular mess hall hours.
As the foodservice industry continued to grow, companies such as Canteen began offering meal services for schools and businesses in addition to the military.
Since then, many other companies have joined the foodservice industry and provide a variety of services to their clients, including company cafeterias and catering events.
In the United States, many universities have catered cafeterias run by foodservice providers to support the needs of their students. For example, at Princeton University, Aramark provides catering services for special events and dining services in residential colleges.
The benefits of using a cafeteria food service provider
Cost savings
Cafeteria food service providers provide cost-saving benefits to their clients by providing healthy, convenient meal solutions. By allowing employees to eat lunch at work, companies save money on employee commutes and avoid the costs associated with having an internal cafeteria.
For example, the government of Canada spent $4 billion in 2010 on providing its employees with food3. In addition, eating a healthy lunch at work also provides your employees with the opportunity to eat a more nutritious meal than they would on their own5.
Healthy Meal Options
In addition to cost-perks, cafeteria food service providers deliver healthy choices to their clients’ employees by providing them with a variety of meal options.
Even if a company only requires their employees to have the option of choosing between a salad and a sandwich, they can still save money by using a food service provider who specializes in healthy choices.
For example, companies that require their employees to have a choice between fruit and vegetable on their plate will save money because fruits and vegetables are typically more expensive than sandwiches or salads.
Communication and responsiveness
Cafeteria food service providers make their clients’ lives easier by providing them with a personalized, responsive experience. In addition to offering quality food services, companies that specialize in catering will also make sure that their clients are satisfied with the service they receive from start to finish.
Their communication and responsiveness are especially important when ordering catering because if anything goes wrong, it can be difficult to resolve.
Increased morale and productivity
Employees feel happier when they can enjoy their lunch break in comfort without having to worry about finding the time or effort required to make a healthy meal for themselves. This leads to increased morale which directly correlates with increased employee productivity.
Employee satisfaction
This is an important benefit to consider as employees who are happy with their job, and the perks they receive from working there tend to stay longer.
Increased brand recognition
Since cafeterias or catered meals are a common benefit offered by many companies, this increases a company’s overall brand recognition. This can be seen as a direct result of having more satisfied employees who are happy to promote the company on their social media platforms.
Catering services
Cafeteria food service providers also specialize in catering. Their experience provides them with valuable knowledge that they can apply to provide high-quality, cost-efficient catering services for special events held by companies.
High-qualityIngredients
Cafeteria food service providers use high-quality ingredients in their meals which leads to increased customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, because they can cater to a variety of dietary restrictions, food service providers can provide their clients’ employees with healthy, well-balanced meals that meet each individual’s needs.
Customization
Food service providers can customize menus according to their client’s wishes. This guarantees that there is at least one option available that meets the dietary requirements of each individual who works for a company.
Availability
Cafeteria food service providers offer companies 24/7 access to their menus and services through online platforms such as an e-catering app or a website portal. This ensures that employees have immediate access to all their options when ordering a meal.
Work with any budget.
Lastly, the best cafeteria food service providers can work with any budget by providing cost-effective solutions that still taste great.
They will provide their clients with delicious meals while working within your budget, whether it is a catering service for special events or to provide your employees with healthy, convenient food options.
These are only a few ways that the right cafeteria foodservice providers can help improve your workplace environment and increase morale, which can lead to increased productivity for your business.
How to Choose the Right Cafeteria Food Service Provider
When choosing a cafeteria food service provider, it is important to consider their history of successful implementations, communication style and responsiveness, and commitment to quality food choices.
History of successful implementations
Before choosing an organization to provide your employees with their lunch, it is important to consider the history of successful implementations they have done for other companies. An organization’s history will give you insight into whether or not itcan provide successful food services.
For example, if any other companies were satisfied with their food services, the organization will have a good history of successful implementations.
Communication style and responsiveness
In addition to their past successes, the cafeteria food service provider’s communication style and responsiveness are important to consider when assessing whether or not they are right for your company.
They should be able to communicate with you in a personalized way that works with your schedule. They should also be responsive, so you aren’t left with lingering questions about their food services or waiting to place an order for catering services.
Ability to work within any budget
Lastly, the best cafeteria food service providers can work within your budget by providing cost-effective solutions that still taste great. Regardless of how much money you have to allocate for food services, the best providers will be able to work with you to provide your employees with healthy, cost-effective meal options.
Commitment to quality food choices
When choosing a cafeteria food service provider, it is important to consider their commitment to providing healthy food choices. They should be specialists in delivering one type of meal service, whether it is all healthy options or catering for special events.
Choosing an organization specializing in your particular meal need will ensure that you receive quality services tailored to meet your needs.
Conclusion
The benefits of using a cafeteria food service provider are clear. Not only do they provide healthy, diverse, and delicious options for your employees to enjoy at work each day, but they also offer cost savings that can be passed onto you as the employer.
When choosing an appropriate company to deliver these services, consider their specialties and experience in this arena before making a decision. Another factor to consider is the investment required from your organization.
Some companies have a monthly fee, while others require a set-up cost. In addition, some offer a services contract for a certain length of time, and others do not. Finally, determine what you are looking for in terms of foodservice.
Do you want to have the option to opt-out of the program, or would it be better to have other options available should your employees, not like one particular selection? Discuss these questions with other members of your organization’s decision-making team before committing.
