Some people think that stews often taste better from a commercial kitchen. But company canteens not only offer food, but also space for communication. But what if people prefer to work at home?
Where there used to be a lot of activity at breakfast time, empty seats now dominate the scene. Like other company canteens, the one in the Karlsruhe district office is also suffering from the consequences of working from home: the number of guests has decreased since the corona pandemic and the capacity is no longer sufficient for an economic operation. “It couldn’t be dealt with without endangering the rest of the organization,” says Michael Auen, board member of Lebenshilfe Karlsruhe, Ettlingen and the surrounding area.
“The world has been different in gastronomy since 2020”
Through the inclusion company Worka, the association runs, among other things, several canteens in which people with and without disabilities work. The Corona consequences here now specifically mean: protective shield procedures and separation from the entire catering area.
“The world in gastronomy has been different since 2020,” says Auen. In the two canteens in the district office and in the city’s technical town hall alone, the number of meals per day has now fallen from 600 to 700 to less than 100, he makes clear.
The consequences are not so drastic everywhere, but overall the industry segment, which includes caterers, is struggling. Compared to 2019 before the pandemic, sales fell by 11.3 percent last year, according to a spokeswoman for the Dehoga hotel and restaurant association, citing the Federal Statistical Office. Compared to 2022, there was at least a small increase of 1.8 percent. The situation remains challenging.
Optimistic view of the future
Despite very flexible regulations for mobile working/home office, Allianz is experiencing that the number of guests in the 16 restaurants at 14 locations is increasing again – to 1.8 million last year. Many employees enjoyed using the restaurants again for communication and meeting up for lunch.
The industry association Dehoga is also hoping for this: “We are counting on the importance of company restaurants to increase again – as a hub for nutrition, health, well-being and communication, as part of a good corporate culture and as an important meeting place for colleagues.” Ekkehart Lehmann from K&P Consulting, which advises on commercial kitchen planning, says that the importance of company catering for companies has increased. That’s why they are more willing to make the catering industry attractive and, as far as possible, to provide greater financial support. A new canteen guideline makes it possible for federal institutions to directly subsidize operators and table guests.
“The introduction of home office regulations has made the economic basis for many company restaurants more difficult,” explains Lehmann. “At the same time, companies understand the importance of company catering as an essential element in bringing employees back to the company and consciously promoting the reduced opportunities for internal exchange and communication due to home office.” The company catering is the place in the company where colleagues come together and the company’s values can be conveyed in an exemplary manner.
Home office anchored in Germany
According to a spokeswoman, Allianz uses days with lower utilization, for example to prepare events, reduce overtime or for further training of employees. Restaurants with lower occupancy would be controlled by a more limited offering. You can also take food “to go” to your home office.
The ifo Institute recently found that the latter is firmly anchored in Germany. According to a survey, almost a quarter of employees worked from home at least part of the time in February. There are differences, for example, in the size of the companies – according to the survey, the proportion of home offices is lower in small and medium-sized companies. But the industry also plays a role, as a Dehoga spokeswoman makes clear. There is a high proportion of home offices in services and a lower proportion in manufacturing.
But it’s not just the absence of employees that is causing problems for company canteens. According to the experts, the increase in VAT from 7 to 19 percent at the beginning of the year as well as increases in costs for food and staff are also having an impact.
Situation difficult for inclusion companies
What’s more, Worka is an inclusion company. There is indeed compensation for reduced performance for affected employees. But this has not increased to the same extent as the minimum wage, says managing director Aurelia Becker. Additional bureaucratic effort is also not compensated for.
She discussed various options with customers. “We have taken all business measures.” But prices for meals, for example, cannot be increased indefinitely. “We’re competing with the kebab shop around the corner.”
Lebenshilfe board member Auen says: “Our success factor is people.” If you save on staff and rely on pure serving kitchens, for example, canteen operations become more economical. “But then as a guest you will have to get used to no longer having the charm of the chef swinging the spoon. Then you have system catering.”
Nevertheless, Auen and Becker are confident that the approximately 70 employees from the catering sector will remain employed. There are already several interested parties who want to take over some or all of Worka’s canteens.
Source: Stern
