Free food and healthy snacks: How employers are enticing workers to return to the office

How are employers enticing workers to come back to the office? 

One company has noted an increase in the number of breakfast and lunch events in an effort to bring people back to the office. File photo: Violeta Stoimenova/iStock

There are split opinions on working from home: some people love the comfort and the time and money saved from no longer having to commute, while others have missed the interaction with colleagues and the ability to differentiate between home and the workplace.

Whatever your stance, it seems that the return to ‘normal’ is afoot. Many employers and employees are slowly starting to go back to the workplace, albeit most are incorporating a hybrid working model.

But for those who have enjoyed the working from home life, how are employers enticing them to come back to the office? With food, it seems.

The Fruit People supply fruit and a wide range of snacks as well as catering for breakfast and lunch for around 700 offices throughout Dublin. Since the return to the office first began, The Fruit People has seen an influx in orders along with the number of breakfast and lunch events being organised by clients in an effort to bring people back into the office.

Barry Dennis, Co-Founder and CEO of The Fruit People says they have seen “massive growth” in the past number of months and have taken on some new clients post-pandemic.

From talking to their clients, Barry said that it seems a lot of companies have carried out surveys among their employees ahead of the return to the workplace. One common theme was the desire for food in the office upon that return.

“One of the topics that was coming up big on why people would come back to the office was food and beverage in the offices. So, snacks and free lunches and breakfasts and we’ve seen a lot of companies really ramp up what they’re offering,” Barry says.

Barry Dennis and Brian Dennis, founders of The Fruit People. Picture: Alan Rowlette Photography -

“Say, for example, a company that may have only just ordered fruit before is now offering fruit, snacks and beverages and soft drinks. We're seeing the companies try to entice people back in with a food and beverage programme.” 

This increase in business kicked off “pretty much immediately” once offices and workplaces began to reopen. “Our order values have doubled compared to pre-Covid,” Barry explains.

The Fruit People started nine years ago with just their fruit baskets—hence the name. Before the pandemic, 80% of their sales were fruit baskets for offices, but now 40% of their sales are from their snack range.

Some companies have opted for a snack only option which sees The Fruit People supply custom-built display units with a variety of different snacks as well as juices and soft drinks. Larger companies such as those in tech and pharma are providing hot and cold breakfast items for employees as well as a lunch option for their staff.

Another trend noted by Barry is the evidence of a start of the return to the office.

“We’re seeing more people return to the office and a lot of places are still kind of figuring out their hybrid model but what we’re seeing is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays seem to be busy days at the office at the moment."