At the office, lunch will soon be available at the push of a button
At the office, lunch will soon be available at the push of a button
While traditional cafeterias are struggling, innovative providers are booming. They deliver fresh meals directly to offices—and are growing rapidly.
Working from home, part-time work, and flexible work arrangements are now the norm in many places. Since the pandemic began, offices have been half-empty—especially on Fridays—and so have the employee cafeterias, if there are any. Mondays present a similar picture. On top of that, there are new expectations: Employees want sustainable, varied, fast, and affordable dining options around the clock.
Several Swiss companies see a gap in the market here. Swiss startups such as Felfel and Boostbar are currently expanding rapidly with automated office vending machines. After all, not every company can afford its own cafeteria. “We have no plans to slow down our growth,” says Boostbar CEO Colin Häusler (36). On the contrary. Last year, his company celebrated its 1,000th installation at a business location. According to Häusler, the number of meal vending machines has doubled every year since the company’s founding in 2021—and the trend is set to continue.
Starting this year, the company has also been represented in offices in Ticino and thus throughout Switzerland. Its clients now include companies such as Swisscom, the building supplies provider Geberit, and the Zurich-based Stadtspital Triemli.
Felfel uses Tibits meals
Felfel, a family-owned business, is considered a pioneer in Switzerland. It was founded in 2013 by Daniela and Emanuel Steiner, a couple from Zurich. With their vision of “no more mediocre food at work,” the company has grown significantly since then. Today, Felfel vending machines can be found in over 900 companies. Examples include the outdoor gear company Mammut, the pharmaceutical giant Roche, and the pocket knife manufacturer Victorinox.
Felfel It partners with restaurants such as Tibits and Tenz Momos, which develop fresh meals specifically for the vending machines. “We seek out the best tortellini, curries, and bowls in Switzerland and stock them in our refrigerators,” says founder Daniela Steiner (43), describing the concept. The meals cost office workers about 10 to 14 francs.
Frozen Meals in Vending Machines
Unlike Felfel , competitor Boostbar offers frozen meals in addition to classic fresh items such as sandwiches. “This approach minimizes food waste and is more cost-effective than relying solely on fresh products,” explains CEO Häusler. “I’m bringing the restaurant to the offices,” says the young entrepreneur. To keep lunch from getting boring, the menu features a total of 200 constantly rotating dishes, ranging from spaghetti Bolognese to Thai vegetable curry. Menu prices start at 6.90 francs and go up to 14 francs.
Selecta is also getting in on the vending machine lunch trend. In partnership with Coop, the snack vending machine company offers a variety of food service stations for offices. Depending on the size of the business, the offerings range from individual vending machines to small self-service stores. This allows the solutions to be customized to fit the available space and the number of employees. Beat Welti (57), head of Selecta Switzerland, confirms strong demand. His concept addresses the needs of many young people.
So far, the three leading vending machine providers have primarily served as supplements to traditional employee cafeterias. Whether they will catch on in the long run and become a regular part of our office life, however, will likely be decided above all by the bosses of these hungry employees.
