From Roaming Hunger
Since the ways in which companies and their employees engage have changed over the last several years, corporations in Atlanta and around the country are rethinking how they use corporate catering.
In response, Roaming Hunger set out to measure the value that food trucks and catering bring to Human Resources departments by surveying hundreds of Atlanta-based companies. The benefits and uses of food truck catering were clear and the results worth sharing.
For example, 89.8% of respondents said that a food truck helped them accomplish their specific goals. And those goals varied widely, from bringing in mobile catering for a special one-time event, to hiring food trucks more consistently for employee appreciation and engagement lunches (see below for details).
The research shows that companies find food to be a motivating tool for their workforce. And it’s working—hyping up team members by centering food is a great way to build community. Let’s dive deeper into why hiring local food trucks is a perk your company could use to its advantage.
What the Data Says About Bringing in Food Trucks
When companies tell us that they bring food trucks into the office for a variety of reasons, we tend to get curious about what those reasons are. Respondents could choose from multiple of the event types below. Here are the results to the question “Why did you use food trucks?”:
While 85.5% of respondents use food trucks for special events, only 35% selected “special events” as the only option. This means the majority of companies, 65% that is, bring in catering for more than one type of event (whether it’s daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly) and that they consider team building and increasing employee satisfaction & engagement to warrant hiring a food truck.
What these numbers tell us is that by modernizing and diversifying the way in which food is served to employees, specifically via food trucks, HR professionals in Atlanta are finding a multitude of advantages for employees and for their companies at large.
Courtney Howell, the Vice President of Human Resources at Atlanta’s very own Property Masters said, “Most recently we used a food truck to celebrate our 20th anniversary! We have used them in the past as well to increase employee engagement, motivate employees, and just be able to encourage a fun work environment.”
She, along with many others in similar roles, shared that hiring food trucks creates a unique experience that allows employees to bond over food and introduces an organic way for employees to break down barriers with one another.
What Matters Most to Hosts When Booking a Caterer
In the end, what every company leader wants to see are results, and that’s exactly why we sought out the data to support this growing trend.
The information gathered concludes that:
- 57% of surveyed corporations feel that the most important part of booking a food truck was to find a caterer that could fit all of their needs.
- This includes not only supporting the type of event that was being hosted, but also cuisine preferences, dietary restrictions, budgetary constraints, time of day, and number of eaters expected.
- Only 16% of Atlanta clientele said that variety mattered most.
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- This shows us that while some are focused on providing a wide range of food types to employees, most companies are striking a balance between good food, reliable service, and boundaries that have been set by leadership for the event.
Atlanta-based Andy’s Pool Service said in their survey response that, “We get food trucks about once a quarter
to show employee appreciation, as so many of our employees work outside all day. It is nice to have them come back at noon, have some good food and fun (we usually also have games), and then leave early for the day. It boosts morale and who doesn’t like a good food truck?!”
At Andy’s Pool Service, they want to provide an experience for their employees that is timely, enjoyable, and fits within their quarterly budget.
Additionally, their employees have the benefit of forming stronger bonds with one another, reducing work-related anxiety, feeling cared for by the company, and being told through the gesture of a planned luncheon that personal/professional life balance matters.
Case Study: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Dawn Murrain is a Project Manager at CHOA and recently coordinated a major event with Roaming Hunger to celebrate the opening of a new children’s hospital in Atlanta.
Her special event included:
- 450+ attendees (mainly healthcare providers previewing the location)
- 4 food trucks (both savory and sweet)
- A Roaming Hunger Experience Manager and a Vendor Manager who coordinated the entire event
Dawn had much to say about her experience hiring food trucks for a major corporate event, including:
“Instead of having to do all the work ourselves, we were able to cut one check and Roaming Hunger handled everything for us.
For this pre-event for the hospital’s opening, my Roaming Hunger Experience Manager was great, always answered questions, and walked us through all of it until it was handed off to our Vendor Manager. Roaming Hunger was very helpful with selections, especially with so many higher-ups to run things past. The trucks had great signage—so many people asked about them after—but the favorite was the dessert truck Sweet Janice—people are still talking about it. The presentation outside the building looked great.”
Planning a large event with multiple trucks can be overwhelming for anyone. Therefore, getting creative, staying on budget, and keeping well-organized with a supportive and expert catering team behind you can help things happen without a hitch.
The Employee Well-Being Equation
Here are a few of the HR-approved motivating reasons to offer food truck catering to your workforce from Roaming Hunger’s very own Head of People & Culture:
- Fostering engagement through food can provide creative solutions to people-oriented issues.
- Employees will work harder and happier if they have a reason to get outside, move their bodies, and enjoy some sunshine.
- Offering a reason to step away from the cubicle, computer, and cellphone can recenter focus on projects once back in the office, which can foster better collaboration and brainstorming.
- Build community by asking employees for their feedback. Which food truck do they want to come in? Democratizing the process can make everyone feel heard.
Our People & Culture team is a huge proponent of hiring food trucks as a means of relationship-building in the office. Humans are social beings and creating opportunities for conversation to flow and for coworkers to humanize one another (whether through messy eating or just creating a shared memory through a great meal) is essential to supporting a “team-centric” atmosphere.
Looking to Engage Your Employees?
Supporting your company’s long-term success is a lot easier with satisfied employees. Our 20 million+ satisfied eaters and 6,000+ catered events each year prove just that…as do the numbers! When nearly 90% of companies surveyed say that hiring a food truck accomplished their goals, we take that as a sign that these events work!
Even better, they work for any type of company and any size budget. Check out an article on the cost of food trucks for events here to plan your next corporate event around the number of eaters you’re inviting or the cost per person.
We’re here to help you add value to your company and your employees’ daily, monthly, or yearly benefits with something so simple it may seem silly: food! You can explore our Atlanta Food Truck Guide, or dive into our most popular cuisines, including fresh tacos, crispy pizza, truly Southern-style BBQ, and stacked burgers.
Whether it’s once a quarter or once in a while, you can show your workforce that community is at the top of your mind. Profit margins will always matter, but your employees will thrive with delicious, engaging activities like food truck luncheons, brunches, and events.
Choose to celebrate company milestones, holidays, acquisitions, retirements, new hires, and more with great food that speaks to the great people at your company.
For more information on how to hire Atlanta area food truck catering, head to our website. Book your next incredible event catering with our expert team by your side.
About Roaming Hunger: Roaming Hunger enables Atlanta’s businesses, from small start-ups to Fortune 500’s, to host incredible food-centric events. Our award-winning Catering & Events platform helps you create memorable events from ideation to execution. Choose from the best local food trucks, carts, pop-ups, and mobile caterers near you. With over 21k food trucks, trailers, carts, and mobile caterers in our network, Roaming Hunger helps companies accomplish successful catering events—anywhere, anytime.
