A workplace restaurant can be producing excellent food, meeting its financial targets and delivering against its contractual obligations while employees walk past it to buy lunch elsewhere. There may be nothing particularly wrong with the operation, but if fewer people are choosing to use it, we ought to be interested in understanding why.

Food is no longer just fuel — it’s expression. Through food, Gen Z and Alpha tell stories, showcase identity, and even build online personas. TikTok and Instagram are brimming with short, energetic videos of teenagers making toasties, aesthetic lunches, or sharing snack hauls from Tesco.