How to Provide On-Site Food Solutions for Diverse Tastes and Preferences
In any gathering, food preferences are going to vary wildly. While this can make it difficult to serve large groups, it also has a big advantage: the world is full of so many delicious cuisines precisely because not everyone likes the same things.
So, if you are trying to provide office snacks to the people in your building, how do you overcome this hurdle and make sure that everyone can find something they will love in the office vending machine? Plenty of planning is required, and working with the right partner goes a long way. Take a moment to connect with InReach today, and let’s clear this hurdle together.
Why Are Food Preferences So Diverse?
Cultural differences are an important starting point when picking out the best office snacks, but that’s actually only part of the story.
In addition to diverse cultural backgrounds leading your people to prefer various types of food, there are also things like allergies and health choices to consider. Some people just can’t eat a certain type of food because it will harm them, even if they would enjoy it otherwise. Others will be abstaining from a particular type of food as a way to boost their health, such as those who try to avoid carbs or fats.
On top of all these variables, there is also the reality that one food can taste great to some people and be completely off-putting to others. In the end, there is no way that humans are going to come to a consensus anytime soon regarding what foods are “best,” so it’s important to foster inclusivity by featuring as many options as possible in your office snack delivery program.
Four Key Tips for On-Site Food Success
With such a vast universe of food options to consider, it can be easy to feel lost and a bit hopeless about the prospect of finding the right mix for an office vending program or a micro market. But this diversity is actually an exciting opportunity. A report from Mintel indicates that half of all consumers see snacks as a good chance to try new flavors. This means people will be more willing to explore their tastes with a small snack than a full meal—so if you have plenty of choices on hand, they’ll likely be tested out by people who might not have tried them otherwise.
Use these four tips to help frame how you think about presenting a range of food options in your program:
- Cover many cuisines: This is a good starting point, and while you aren’t going to hit every global cuisine, you can cover a few of the big ones to connect with as many people in your building as possible. Foods that fit into categories such as Italian, Mexican, Asian, and Mediterranean are a great foundation.
- Include healthy choices: It’s up to each individual to decide what counts as a healthy office snack, so your job is just to present a range of choices that might be used to build a healthy diet.
- Ask lots of questions: Don’t make this process harder than it needs to be; when you want to know what your people would like to eat, just ask! Putting out a survey or poll to get information about dietary preferences can go a long way toward pleasing everyone.
- Continuously experiment: There is no reason that your first iteration of a menu for your on-site food program has to be set in stone. Try some things out, see how they go, and adjust moving forward to optimize the results.
The Right Partner for the Job
No matter what type of facility you are trying to stock up with tasty food options, from an office to a school campus and beyond, having InReach and our group buying power on your side will always make the job easier. Whether you are ready to get started today or you still have some questions before deciding how to proceed, we’d love to chat. Get in touch with our helpful and experienced team today, and your on-site food services will be poised to make big strides.