New ezCater Data Highlights Workplace Food as a Key Growth Driver for Restaurants

94% of operators believe large, off-premise orders drive incremental revenue to their business

LAS VEGAS & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ezCater, the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US, today released new data about the workplace food opportunity at its 2025 Catering Growth Forum during the Food on Demand Conference. The findings, based on ezCater order data and survey insights from over 2,300 workplace food stakeholders, show workplace food as a significant and growing revenue opportunity for restaurants.

The market for workplace food is expanding as businesses order restaurant food more and more, and introduce employee meal programs, sometimes as a cafeteria replacement. In fact, 43% of organizations surveyed have a recurring meal program in place, up 17% from 2024.

"Workplace catering has always been a big opportunity for restaurants, but now it’s bigger than ever," said Cindy Klein Roche, Chief Marketing Officer, ezCater. “Organizations are ordering for more occasions and bringing in food from local restaurants on a programmatic, recurring basis. Restaurants have a tremendous opportunity to tap into new revenue streams by embracing the evolving role of food in the workplace.”

Additional ezCater survey insights on the workplace food opportunity include:

• Workplace food is a powerful marketing engine: 70% of employees who first try a restaurant through an employer-provided meal personally ordered from that restaurant outside of work, a 49% increase compared to last year.
• Bigger budgets, larger orders: 60% of orderers plan to spend more on workplace food in 2025, with nearly a third expecting budget increases of 25% or more. This is reflected in ezCater’s orders as well, with average order value up 12% to $420, and average headcount up 9% to 25.
• Great for workplaces means great for restaurants: As organizations recognize the value of food in the workplace, the opportunity for restaurants increases. Employees save on average 30 minutes of their workday when meals are provided and 68% report feeling more productive.

"Business catering has proven to be a powerful engine for growth, allowing us to connect with a significant number of new customers we might not otherwise reach,” said Sara Kear, Chief Marketing Officer, Condado Tacos. “It now represents a substantial portion of our overall catering sales volume and has become an invaluable vehicle for expanding our reach.”

In today’s competitive restaurant landscape, brands with established catering programs have a clear advantage. ezCater’s survey found that restaurants with catering programs experienced a 5.1% increase in overall revenue from 2023 to 2024, outpacing the 3.3% average revenue growth rate for restaurants and bars reported by Technomic.

Restaurants and businesses of all types, from Dave’s Hot Chicken to Crumbl, are capitalizing on the growing workplace food opportunity. For restaurants looking to grow revenue streams and take advantage of this expanding market, visit www.ezcater.com/grow.

Methodology
The 2025 “Feeding the Workplace” report is based on surveys conducted in January, 2025 with over 2,300 participants, including 604 corporate catering orderers, 669 restaurant operators, and 1,042 employees. Proprietary ezCater data gathered from millions of transactions across thousands of restaurant partners was also analyzed.

About ezCater
ezCater is the #1 food tech platform for workplaces in the US. The company makes it easy for any organization to manage its food needs and order from over 100,000 restaurants nationwide. For workplaces, ezCater provides flexible and scalable solutions for everything from recurring employee meals to one-off meetings, all backed by beyond helpful 24/7 service and business-grade reliability. For restaurant partners, ezCater helps grow their business by bringing them more orders and new high-value customers. To learn more, visit www.ezcater.com.