Catering Providers See Boost in Growth Amid Return-to-Office Trend

Stricter return-to-office policies and high dining costs are driving employees to corporate cafeterias, boosting volumes and growth prospects for caterers like Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo. Higher traffic can lift organic growth by up to 1% in the next 12 months, according to Bloomberg Intelligence data. Enhanced benefits and value are key factors in workers' return to the office, with employers increasingly relying on amenities to lure staff back.

Stricter return-to-office policies and higher dining costs are fueling a resurgence in corporate cafeteria usage, with significant implications for catering companies like Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo. According to Bloomberg Intelligence [1], the increased demand for in-house dining options is expected to lift organic growth for these caterers by up to 1% in the next 12 months.

The shift towards in-office dining is driven by several factors. Firstly, the cost of eating out remains elevated, making subsidized meals in corporate cafeterias an attractive option for employees. Additionally, employers are leveraging enhanced amenities and benefits, such as better food, networking opportunities, and productivity gains, to lure staff back to the workplace. "Employers are increasingly relying on such features to lure staff back to the workplace," said Bloomberg Intelligence senior analysts Stuart Gordon and Evgeniy Batchvarov [1].

The trend is particularly pronounced in major hubs like New York, London, and Paris, where fewer employees expect to work remotely in the next 12 to 24 months [1]. This trend is reflected in Aramark's performance, with the company's business and industry unit, which accounts for about 15% of its US revenue, experiencing the fastest growth for seven consecutive quarters [1].

Europe, however, lags behind North America in terms of recovery from the return-to-office trend. While North America saw a 1.7% organic growth in its business and administration unit, Europe reported just 1% growth in its European business and administration segment [1]. This disparity can be attributed to more entrenched hybrid work arrangements and legal protections for remote work in countries like Germany and the Netherlands [1].

Despite the uneven recovery, the overall outlook for corporate catering remains positive. The ability of caterers to rotate menus based on cost fluctuations and the flexibility offered by their scale provide a competitive advantage over high-street operators [1]. As employees continue to return to the office, the demand for corporate catering services is expected to grow, further bolstering the prospects of companies like Aramark, Compass Group, and Sodexo.

References:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-22/stricter-return-to-office-policies-are-boon-for-global-caterers