Return to Office: Innovation and Creative Employee Amenities

Flexible Contracts and Innovative Partnerships in Dining & Hospitality Services Key to Office Return

The off-again on-again plans for return-to-office are back on for employers. But for many, the environment will be very different. Announced plans for companies from Citigroup to BNY Mellon, Google, Twitter, American Express, and more have run the gamut from mandating full-time attendance to requiring a certain number of days per week in the office to leaving it entirely to the employee – at least for now.

Prior to 2020, many offices were productive as well as social hubs where employees built careers, lives, and social networks. That center has shifted, and employees have adapted to build those same structures in remote-work environments. Coaxing those employees to willingly and enthusiastically abandon what they have spent the last two years creating will require reimagined environments and amenities that ignite return-to-office confidence and excitement.

This poses some real challenges for companies and their dining and hospitality services providers. Contracts are historically based on anticipated employee populations and revenue projections, with guaranteed subsidies when the client’s desire to offer attractive employee amenities exceeds the price the service provider can charge for the product – a meal in the cafeteria, for example – in that local market.

When you return to the office, will the same dining and hospitality services contractual model work, or will you require more flexibility in the face of greater uncertainty?

Are service providers in the current market open to the more flexible approach required in our current uncertain environment, and what might that look like?

Which service providers in the current market are committed to taking the long view – to work as a strategic partner towards the long-term success of both parties?

As the new 2022 Food Management Top 50 Contract Management Companies report shows, there are still many service providers whose revenues have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. What impact will that have on their willingness or ability to be flexible and take the long view to meet your needs? And yet, many of the regional and mid-sized, privately-held providers scrambled to work closely with their clients, develop innovative solutions, and demonstrate that it is possible to be flexible, serve their needs effectively, and continue to grow – in spite of the pandemic.

NEXDINE Hospitality is a leader in this new era of flexibility and innovation, which kept us on a growth trajectory – even as the pandemic took its economic toll. Is your dining and hospitality partner up to the challenge? Is your contract limiting or constraining your return-to-office options?

Imagine, for example:

• Cafes, coffee shops, and other venues within your office environment that replicate remote workers’ accustomed meeting environments
• Catered meetings featuring culinary creations and exceptional service because cold leftovers and remote video calls just don’t have the same appeal
• Our continued commitment to fresh and clean ingredients and an emphasis on local sourcing
• Integrated wellness programs that demonstrate your commitment to the total well-being of each employee
• Technology that makes ordering, pick-up, or even desk-side delivery a breeze
• Grab-n-go or take-out options for employees to return home as heroes, serving gourmet, restaurant-quality meals while preserving family time
• Cooking demonstrations, farmers’ markets, and wellness events that turn the workplace into social hubs

As you plan your return to office strategy, what some have dubbed The Great Return, remember that when it comes to dining and hospitality services, you have options. Contact NEXDINE Hospitality to schedule an introductory call and see what the NEXDINE Experience and our leadership in innovation and flexibility can mean for you.