Foodji survey shows: When it comes to company lunch breaks in Germany, desire and reality diverge

Munich, October 23, 2023 - No meal is as important to employees as lunch, according to a survey conducted by Munich-based food tech company Foodji. In the survey of 1,033 customers, one in two named lunch as the most important meal of the day. This puts it well ahead of breakfast (32.6%) and dinner (17.5%).

Lunch break creates time for exchange with the team

During the lunch break, the respondents focus on the essentials: above all, they want to satisfy their hunger (64%) and recharge their batteries with food (53%). However, it is also important for them to exchange ideas with other team members (41%), as well as having time for themselves (35%). The lunch break therefore also fulfills social and psychological needs. However, more than half of those surveyed (56%) take a maximum of half an hour for this. It can be assumed that for many, part of this time is also lost to buying food.

It should be healthy, sustainable and affordable

Regardless of the tight time frame, the demands on the choice of food are high: taste (99%), freshness (97%) and a positive impact on health (92%) are the most important factors for the respondents. Price also plays an important role for almost nine out of ten participants. This should be as low as possible: Almost half of respondents (48%) do not want to spend more than five euros on lunch.

However, the majority of respondents are not willing to compromise when it comes to sustainability: For 79%, this factor is relevant when choosing what they eat. In practice, the corresponding respondents want to implement sustainability by avoiding food waste (98%) and attaching importance to environmentally friendly packaging of the food they consume (94%).

Intelligent catering during breaks: More time for the essentials

"Our survey shows how important the lunch break is for many employees," explains Felix Munte, co-founder and Managing Director of Foodji. "As a break in the working day

it not only serves to strengthen the body, but also to exchange ideas with colleagues and find peace and quiet. The break can therefore also contribute to downstream aspects such as team cohesion and performance."

However, as the data shows, in practice there is a contradiction between desire and reality, adds Daniel von Canal, co-founder and Managing Director of Foodji: "A lack of time and high cost awareness make it difficult for many employees to organize their break according to their own wishes. With intelligent food vending machines, companies can accommodate their employees in this respect. They make it possible to provide fresh, wholesome meals on demand. The tax-free meal allowance also allows employers to accommodate their team in terms of price."

Employees also save time: more than half of those surveyed stated that they spend at least ten minutes less on shopping when using the vending machine. "This leaves more time for a conscious meal, a chat with colleagues or a walk in the fresh air," adds Daniel von Canal.

Meal vending machines: Innovative employee catering thanks to AI

The Munich-based food tech company Foodji operates food vending machines of the same name. These enable companies without their own canteen to offer their employees fresh, wholesome meals around the clock. In combination with an automated supply chain and AI-supported quantity planning, the vending machines are supplied in line with demand, which minimizes food waste.

For the survey, 1,033 randomly selected Foodji customers from all over Germany were surveyed via an online questionnaire. They worked in office environments, the logistics and production sector, the healthcare sector and the hotel industry. The survey period was August 2023.

Download image material (© Foodji Marketplace GmbH) here

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About Foodji

Foodji, the young food tech market leader from Munich, was founded in 2016 by Felix Munte, Daniel von Canal, Moritz Munte, Dr. Oliver Friedmann and Nicolas Luig. Foodji enables small and medium-sized companies without a canteen to provide their employees with a fresh and healthy range of food. At the heart of the company are the proprietary technology platform and the smart food vending machine "Foodji", which offers fresh, healthy and high-quality food around the clock. These are characterized by a particularly high quality and can be reserved via app as well as purchased via touchscreen without registration. The food on offer is tailored to the wishes of the customers using specially developed artificial intelligence.

tailored to employees. In addition to a personalized offer, this results in significantly less food waste than is usual in the food industry. Thanks to 24/7 availability, the Foodjis can also be used more flexibly than conventional canteens and also cater for workers working in shifts and at night.

Questions and further press inquiries to:

Maisberger GmbH
Ruth Karner / Anja Söldner / Karolin Böhm
089 / 41 95 99 22 /-46 /-49
foodji@maisberger.com

foodji marketplace GmbH‍

Alisa Flick
press@foodji.com

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