At Meta's Manhattan office in New York, a long line of employees waits for their meal: Mediterranean-style lamb with mint sauce, followed by cassis mousse and pear for dessert.
Not far away, at the headquarters of investment fund KKR, the menu changes daily, featuring a barista bar serving coffee and fresh smoothies directly to employees.
These scenes reflect a new trend in the US tech and finance sectors. As many corporations tighten spending, extend layoffs from 2025 into this year, and demand stricter performance standards, the office cafeteria remains one of the few protected benefits. Many companies are willing to cut gym memberships or travel allowances but are upgrading free lunches because the cost is still lower than increasing bonuses or stock options.
 |
Photo illustration: Business Insider |
Some corporations established this model early on. Google has provided free meals for years. In 2023, the company reduced its food budget, shortened cafe operating hours, and consolidated smaller kitchens, yet the menu remains diverse. Since the 2000s, the company founded by Michael Bloomberg also gained attention for its extensive system of free snacks, which helped keep employees from leaving the office during work hours.
Beyond cost, companies expect shared meals to foster more direct interaction, encouraging staff to step away from their desks. At KKR, the new cafe is designed as an open workspace. GAP requires its office staff to work onsite five days a week and proudly reports that 70% of its employees now eat lunch on campus. Goldman Sachs also increased dinner allowances for employees working at the office past 8 p.m.
Many corporations are shifting from scattered light refreshments to organized, regular lunch programs. A 2024 report by Dinova and Technomic indicates that corporate catering revenue surpassed wedding catering in 2023 and could push the market size past USD 103 billion by 2027.
From the employee perspective, this change aligns perfectly with their expectations. Research from the University of South Florida shows that today's employees value food-related and social benefits more than health benefits.
"Dining benefits are a test of corporate culture. If offered an additional USD 10,000 but no office meals, I wouldn't take the job," stated a Microsoft engineer in San Francisco. Every day, he enjoys free lunch, a juice bar, and snacks at the company.
Amid inflation and high living costs in megacities like New York or San Francisco, a modest lunch outside can easily cost USD 20-30. Therefore, having all daily meals covered by the company not only fosters cultural connection but also helps employees save a significant amount of money each month. This explains the rationale behind many workers choosing food perks over an extra USD 10,000 in cash.
The competition to enhance meal offerings is so fierce that it has spilled over onto social media. On the X platform, users continuously compare Anthropic's prepared lunches with OpenAI's elaborate self-service model.
Clearly, with job boards full of layoff announcements, the image of a lavish office meal significantly strengthens employer brands, helping them retain top talent.
Ngoc Ngan (According to Business Insider)
