Workplace catering orders for food-franchise restaurants grew approximately 26% year-over-year [1].
This surge reflects a strategic shift by companies attempting to incentivize employees to return to physical office spaces. By offering free meals, employers are leveraging food as a tool to combat the persistence of remote and hybrid work models.
Data reported by ezCater indicates that this trend is benefiting established franchise brands, such as Five Guys and Mission BBQ [2]. The growth occurred between 2024 and 2025 [3], though some reports specifically attribute the spike to 2025 [3].
Corporate appetite for variety is driving the trend. According to the data, 96% of offices tried new restaurant options [3]. This openness to different menus allows franchises to penetrate corporate accounts that previously relied on traditional catering services, or internal cafeterias.
Despite the increase in demand, not all food franchises have successfully tapped into this stream. While the overall sector has seen a significant jump in orders, many individual brands have yet to fully capture the opportunity provided by the return-to-office push [2].
The shift toward franchise-led catering represents a departure from the lean office environments seen during the height of the pandemic. As companies prioritize in-person collaboration, the demand for high-volume, branded food delivery continues to rise [2].
“Workplace catering orders for food-franchise restaurants grew approximately 26% year-over-year.”
The growth in corporate catering suggests that 'food perks' have become a primary lever for corporate real estate utilization. For food franchises, this represents a transition from individual consumer transactions to high-volume B2B contracts, shifting the revenue model toward predictable, large-scale corporate accounts.
