Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazines is an industry resource connecting foodservice operators, equipment and supplies manufacturers and dealers, and facility design consultants.
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28 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MAY 2015 operator's opinion The Changing Face of Corporate Dining F ast-casual concepts seem to dominate the foodservice industry discus- sion these days, and with good reason. Many of these operators have found the way to meet customers' de- mands for quality, innovative menu items in a way that resonates with time-strapped customers. This phenomenon is certainly not lost on the world of corporate dining. System wide at Florida Blue, we have roughly 11,000 employees working from offces in Florida and several states for subsidiaries our company owns. To serve our vast and diverse employee population we operate six cafes, including three on our main campus and two company c-stores. In addition, for some of our smaller sites, those with 300 to 1,000 employees, we operate six micro markets. And we provide vending pretty much on every foor, so we have close to 300 machines throughout our system. During my 12 years with the com- pany, our foodservice operation had to evolve from what people used to see as a traditional corporate cafeteria into a true restaurant-quality experience. And we had to adopt this approach through multiple points of service. Our associates can choose from more than 100 restaurants that operate within 5 miles of our main campus. And getting on and off of our campus is pretty easy. We know that people will need to leave campus once in a while to take a break or even run some errands. But for those that want to remain on-site during lunch periods, customer en- gagement is the key to our success because it enhances the time they spend at work. For example, we know when people stay on campus for lunch they have opportunities for those impromptu meetings with col- leagues that can lead to resolving a challenge while trying to decide what to eat. Adding value in the form of affordable meals represents another objective for us. We also strive to keep our pricing below area restaurants and other corporate cafeterias to make this experience more affordable for our employees. By studying our employees we know they are back to their desks quicker when they eat on-site and they spend less. And their satisfaction with the taste and over- all experience with the meal is pretty high. As a health solutions company, cultivat- ing a sense of community is a priority for us, too. The largest single group we insure Damian Monticello Sr. Manager, Hospitality Services Florida Blue Damian.monticello@floridablue.com The emergence of micro markets, like the Mechanicsburg, Pa., location seen here, has allowed employers like Florida Blue to reach more of their employ- ees who now have more convenient access to better-for-you food items. And allowing employees to get closer to the food, instead of seeing it only through a vending machine's pane of glass, makes them more receptive to the experience.