3 Ways to Make a Working Lunch Work for You

According to a recent Tork survey, millennials are 3x more likely than baby boomers to believe coworkers would judge them negatively for taking a lunch break.

With millennials now the majority of the workforce in the United States, their reluctance to eat during the workday is impacting weekday-afternoon traffic.

To counteract, brands are taking interesting approaches. For example, Potbelly has partnered with UberConference to play hold music with humorous lyrics meant to make listeners crave a sandwich during afternoon conference calls.

How can your brand attract more lunchtime customers?

Here are three proven ways:

1. Drive On-premises Visits 

Messages with lunch promotions should be sent through email or SMS. A buy-one, get-one-half-off promotion will entice people to bring their coworkers and move their meetings from the office.

Providing Wi-Fi and ample places to charge electronics will accommodate guests looking to get work done while they eat. Even the old promotion involving business cards dropped in a fishbowl can be digitized with a prize entry.

2. Offer Advance Ordering and Quick Pickup 

Hungry people who don't have much time appreciate being able to order ahead. That could be online or using a mobile app. Easy advance ordering makes it convenient for this type of guest to grab lunch to take back to the office.

3. Focus on Corporate Catering 

A common office perk is company-provided lunch. In fact, the average business spends $1,100 per month on catering. Gaining that type of revenue can compensate for fewer individual orders.

Since 30% of catering customers order weekly, offering a catering rewards program can boost sales. If you make a good impression, those corporate employees are likely to visit you on their own time.

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