November 6, 2025
TOKYO – Employee cafeterias are adapting to increasing demand for affordable, healthy meals amid the post-pandemic return of staff to offices and skyrocketing prices. Some companies open their cafeterias in the evening and make alcohol available to foster deeper communication among staff.
Buffet at L’Oreal
The cafeteria of cosmetics giant Nihon L’Oreal K.K. serves over ten kinds of fresh vegetables, along with side dishes, including boiled chicken from poultry farms, and fruit. The cafeteria used to serve regular menus such as rice bowls and pasta but started a buffet in late September, priced at ¥550 per plate (tax included).
The buffet was a response to requests from L’Oreal staff who said: “Nearby restaurants are crowded and require long waits. There are few affordable, satisfying lunch options,” or “We want more variety in the vegetables and flavors at the cafeteria.”
The cafeteria manager said many employees were coming these days.
The cafeteria is run by CNC Corp. under contract. The corporate catering company has contracts with ten farms in Chiba Prefecture and sources vegetables and chicken directly from the farms at low prices. CNC only operates L’Oreal’s cafeteria now, but aims to expand to 50 clients by 2027.
Post-pandemic
Skyrocketing prices, among other factors, led Persol Holdings Co., a leading staffing and human resources services firm, to reopen its cafeteria in June after a five-year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been opening two evenings a week since September, serving alcoholic beverages as a place to foster interaction among staff.
Suzuki Motor Corp., focusing on the Indian market, began serving authentic Indian curry in January 2024 to meet growing demand from its increasing Indian workforce. It now serves 13 curry dishes, which are also popular among Japanese employees.
Recovery trend
According to Fuji Keizai Co., the market of corporate cafeterias plummeted by 20% year-on-year to ¥909.6 billion in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic surged. However, a recovery trend has continued since 2021, reaching ¥972 billion in 2024, and the same level is expected for 2025. Employees have come back to the workplace after working from home, leading to the enhancement of cafeterias as part of employee benefits.
According to a survey conducted by Recruit Co.’s research institute in February-March, people spent ¥1,250 on average when eating out at lunchtime in 2025, marking the fifth consecutive year of increase. The figure was over ¥200 higher than ¥1,039 in 2020. Some surveys showed that rising prices have caused 24% of employees to sometimes skip lunch on workdays.
“High prices makes household budgets tight, and companies are asked to protect their employees’ livelihoods and health,” Teikyo University Prof. Miyuki Tsuyuki, an expert on corporate social responsibility, said. “Cafeterias have potential to be used widely [as a place] for staff to interact.”