Telecommuting: Threatens canteens and canteens – Can an attractive dining area motivate workers to return to the office?
THE telecommuting is one of the changes brought about in the workplace by modern technology and became more popular after the coronavirus pandemic. This has implications for the conventional workplace as we have known it in the past. Canteens, canteens and restaurants operating in public sector businesses or services are struggling to make ends meet, due to reduced attendance. “We used to prepare 600-700 portions of food every day, today the demand does not even reach 100 portions,” Michael Owen, head of the social enterprise Worka, which supplies canteens and restaurants in Karlsruhe County and City Hall, told the German News Agency (dpa). city’s.
Canteens, canteens and restaurants are struggling to make ends meet © Annie Spratt/ Unsplash
Telecommuting causes losses of more than 10%
According to a DW article, a representative of the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) estimates that the sector’s turnover has decreased by 11.3% compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic. “From 2020 to today, the catering world has changed drastically,” says the spokeswoman. The only consolation is that for 2023 a minimal increase in turnover (+1.8%) compared to 2022 is recorded, but this does not change the general picture. It seems that returning to the office after the pandemic is not easy.
An exception is the Allianz insurance group. The 16 restaurants operating today in 14 branches of the group are recording increased attendance, with visitors reaching 1.8 million in 2023. In an effort to make the best possible use of the dining areas, Allianz is also testing new flexible solutions, such as the organization of training seminars in empty rooms, but also the distribution of food at home to those who choose to work remotely.
Of course, many employees prefer to make an appointment to eat during their lunch break. With their frequent presence at the restaurant, they try to restore their contacts and communication after the difficult period of the pandemic.
Communication, the trump card of the canteen
This is exactly where the DEHOGA link is betting, hoping that the situation will improve in the near future for canteens or organized restaurants operating in workplaces. “It’s not just about the food, it’s also about the feeling of well-being, the ability to communicate, the pleasure of social contact,” says the DEHOGA spokeswoman. “This is a piece that contributes to a good corporate culture.”
Eckehart Lehmann, a partner at K&P consulting firm specializing in catering, believes that businesses are increasingly placing importance on the operation of a canteen or restaurant within the workplace. “The new legal framework for telecommuting seems to is an obstacle for these focus unitssays Lehmann. “At the same time, however, businesses are realizing that an attractive dining space is a key motivator for employees to return to the office and improve communication with each other.”
