Key Takeaways
Benefits teams are sizing up meal programs against everything else they offer: 46% of survey respondents compare meal benefits against commuter benefits, wellness perks and phone stipends.
Employers say meals are working as a return-to-office (RTO) incentive: 93% of hybrid companies focused on increasing office attendance say meal benefits help, and 47% call them a major factor.
Group meals have already gone mainstream, but dinner hasn't: 66% of companies providing meals cover group occasions, while just 35% cover dinner.
Today, DoorDash for Business released the 2026 Meal Impact Report, based on a survey* of more than 1,000 U.S. workplace decision-makers. The findings show that meal benefits are taking on a bigger role in return-to-office strategies and the broader benefits mix, while workplace meal programs expand beyond the traditional lunch order.
Meals are part of the RTO playbook and a core part of the benefits package
Meals are competing with more established benefits: 46% of workplace decision-makers say their companies compare meal benefits with other offerings such as commuter benefits, phone stipends and wellness perks.
Meals are playing a role in RTO strategies: Among hybrid companies focused on increasing office attendance, 93% say meal benefits help drive employees back to the office, while 47% are calling it a major part of their approach.
The benefit extends beyond the office: Three in four companies extend meal credits or reimbursements to hybrid or remote employees, allowing employers to use the same benefit across in-office and remote teams.
“When we returned to the office, meals became a key part of our strategy for driving in-person attendance. We wanted the benefit to reward employees who were showing up and give us better visibility into how our offices were being used,” said Kate Ruppert, Director, Facilities & Office Experience at Kargo. “DoorDash for Business helped us create a program that made coming into the office more valuable for employees while giving our team the data and control we needed to manage RTO effectively.”
Meal programs are moving beyond the office lunch
For restaurants, the findings point to meal programs becoming a broader opportunity than the traditional individual lunch order. While lunch remains the most common employer-sponsored meal, companies are also paying for group meals and expanding into other parts of the day.
Dinner remains largely untapped: Among companies that provide meals directly, 76% cover lunch, compared with just 35% that cover dinner.
Group and catered meals are already mainstream: 66% of employers providing meals directly cover group meals for meetings, trainings or team events.
Work travel extends the opportunity beyond the office: 96% of companies see value in managing everyday and travel meals in one place, providing restaurants with another opportunity to reach employees beyond the office, wherever work takes them.
The findings point to a shift in how companies approach employee satisfaction; meals are increasingly becoming part of how employers think about attendance and employee benefits, while companies are looking for ways to improve programs without simply increasing spend. For restaurants, that evolution is expanding the workplace dining opportunity beyond the individual lunch order.
DoorDash for Business provides a single platform to power every workplace meal through offerings such as Meal Manager, for daily team lunches, and tray-style catering, for meetings and events.
To learn more, visit the DoorDash for Business website or download the full 2026 DoorDash for Business Meal Impact Report.
* The 2026 Meal Impact Report is based on a survey of 1,019 U.S.-based decision-makers at companies offering at least one core meal benefit, fielded in spring 2026 and commissioned by DoorDash for Business. Industries surveyed include Technology, Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Professional Services and Other, with approximately 200 respondents per group. All statistics in this newsroom post are based on the survey results, unless otherwise specified.
