The pandemic ruined lunch

The Future. As work-from-home arrangements become the norm, restaurants or food counters that rely on the lunch rush may find themselves without anyone to serve. Though it may be an uphill battle, restaurants that partner with companies to provide discounts, or help set up weekly delivery catering options to local workers, could keep revenue fresh.

No appetite
The work-from-home life is emptying more than just office buildings… it’s leaving local lunch spots famished.

• A survey from Freshly found that 43% of Americans have picked up the practice of meal-prepping lunch during the pandemic (but that results have been mixed).
• That almost lines up with the 46% that don’t think they’ll ever go back to how things were pre-pandemic, according to the American Psychological Association.
• These shifts could affect not just favorite lunch spots, but the corporate practice of office snacks or catered meals (if they go back to the office).

The hardest hit from these changes will be the restaurants that rely heavily on the weekday lunch rush (we’re looking at you, delicious Mendocino Farms or NYC street vendors).

With the help of the workforces they rely on, these spots may need to start brainstorming innovative ways to still serve customers who are no longer waiting in a physical line.