Almost half of Czechs eat lunch directly in the office, and only a fifth of them go to company canteens, according to a new survey by the IN CATERING company, conducted by the Ipsos agency on a sample of 509 respondents aged 18 to 65. About a tenth of Czechs go to restaurants, and when choosing a place, the most important factors are the quality of the food and the price, while the strongest motivator for changing a favorite restaurant is special prices and discounts.
"The survey results show that almost half of Czechs prefer to have lunch in the office, while either bringing food from home or using delivery services," says Luděk Vocílka, CEO of the IN CATERING group. 42% of respondents eat lunch in the office. "The second most common option is having lunch in the company cafeteria, which is chosen by 21.8% of respondents. Only a tenth of Czechs, i.e. 12.2%, go to restaurants. It is interesting that 13.6% of people do not have lunch at all and only 5.5% go home for lunch," says Vocílka.
When choosing a place for lunch, two factors play a key role: the quality of the food, which is considered important by 63% of respondents, and the price, which is decisive for 68.4% of respondents. "These results indicate that Czechs are looking for an optimal balance between tasty food and an acceptable price," explains Luděk Vocílka. Other important factors are the food menu (47.3%) and the distance from the workplace (31.6%), as the majority of respondents (73%) are willing to walk for lunch within a maximum of 5-10 minutes. Only 12% of the respondents are willing to walk for 15-20 minutes for a good lunch, and only 2.7% even 30 minutes. Regarding the daily budget for lunch, the majority of respondents (44.1%) are willing to spend up to 150 crowns, while 29.8% have a limit of up to 100 crowns. 26.1% of respondents are ready to pay more than 150 crowns.
The survey also focused on preferences regarding the type of catering establishment. The most popular choice is self-service canteens and buffets (41.6%), closely followed by restaurants with service (38.2%). "Fast food chains are preferred by only 4.8% of respondents, which may indicate a growing interest in healthier eating," adds Luděk Vocílka.
Availability of lunch options varies by location. A third of respondents (33.8%) state that they have only a few businesses to choose from near their workplace, while a quarter (25.1%) have many options available. Conversely, 18.3% of respondents have only one canteen or restaurant nearby and 16.7% none.
The survey also explored the factors that might make people change their favorite restaurant. The strongest motivator is promotional prices and discounts (46.4%), followed by an attractive range of dishes (39.3%). A recommendation from colleagues or friends would influence 31.4% of respondents.
"For restaurant and canteen operators, the survey shows that they should focus primarily on maintaining reasonable prices, which is currently a big challenge due to the rising costs of raw materials, energy and personnel," explains Luděk Vocílka. "At the same time, it is important to offer a wide variety of dishes and ensure fast service to remain competitive in a market where customers expect an increasingly high standard."
IN CATERING is a catering company with a history dating back to 1995, which has more than 15,000 successfully held social and corporate events. Its services cover a wide range of events, including gala dinners, banquets, coffee breaks, weddings, parties and celebrations, thereby satisfying the diverse requirements of clients. IN CATERING is part of the IN CATERING Group, which also includes the Italian restaurant Ristorante Fabiano, the stylish pub Sou100 Žižkov, the friendly self-service restaurant il Bistro and the modern dining room Tácy na Pankráci.
