We all know that feeling: your alarm went off, and you hit snooze one too many times. You quickly realize you only have enough time to get dressed and barely catch your train to work, bypassing your usual cup of coffee or packed lunch.
What if, on your commute, you were able to place a mobile order at your favorite cafe next to the office? What if you could also schedule a delivery time for your lunch, right from your desk?
Enter: the modern-day tenant experience. Now, landlords are able to provide their tenants with extra conveniences that were not possible before. Easy, reliable access to a diverse range of quality food service retailers and beverages is a crucial part of a workplace’s experience — and the heart and soul of our communities.
Tyler Vermette, HqO’s Head of Channel Partnerships, speaks to the value of our recent launch of order ahead capabilities at our Boston headquarters: “I’m excited that we were able to launch Ritual, one of our Marketplace partners, in our Boston office so that we can get order ahead and better delivery services in and around the office. That is huge for me because I’m on calls all day long and it saves me time.”
A Workplace Staple
If you need more convincing that commercial food ordering has become an essential part of a tenant’s day, let’s take a look at the data.
In 2019, 63% of people aged 18-29 years old used a multi-restaurant delivery website or app within a 90-day period. If this age group, which is making up more and more of the modern workforce, is utilizing food service delivery at home, why wouldn’t they expect to at work?
Additionally, as of April 2020, 36% of consumers in suburban areas and 35% of consumers in urban areas ordered food online or through an app from a local restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The preference towards online orders has become the norm, whether employees are at home or in-office. Thus, in order for property teams to bring value back to offices, they’ll have to add food solutions to their list of modern building amenities.
Why Offer Commercial Food Ordering?
Aside from the data that shows food service delivery is a growing need, it’s clear that an essential part of today’s office customer service is equipping tenants with these capabilities as well.
Offering a connected food service is an important way landlords can show appreciation for their tenants. For instance, an app that gives your employee access to all the menu items at his or her favorite Mediterranean restaurant will delight them and improve their workday. To meet these needs, HqO works with best-in-class food integrations like Toast, SpeedETab, Ritual, and Sweetgreen.
Additionally, commercial food ordering can open up new streams of revenue for properties by supporting on-site retailers and restaurants. Charles Howard, Director of Offices at Grosvenor Britain and Ireland, recently shared how the HqO-Ritual partnership is impacting their property strategy. The partnership “allows Grosvenor to connect our mixed-use estate by promoting food and beverage vendors to our office occupiers,” he says. The HqO platform “brings all the best aspects of local dining directly to customers while supporting restaurants in a modern and efficient way.”
One Piece Of The Tenant Experience Puzzle
However, even if there are no retailers on-site, food ordering still presents a great opportunity to build connections with the larger community.
At Ponce City Market, a mixed-use property in Atlanta, GA, Jamestown sought to promote their local retailers and restaurants to the general population by driving sales despite the fewer visitors on-site. With the help of HqO’s platform and services, their property app now boasts of over 3,000 total sign-ups, and averages about 1,000 new users per month.
This is a win-win-win scenario for tenants, landlords, and nearby businesses. Think about it: as a tenant, you want a quick and easy breakfast or lunch. As a landlord, you want to elevate your landlord brand. And as a local restaurant owner, you are trying to grow your business any way you can. Even the smallest conveniences can add massive value.
At the end of the day, technological capabilities such as commercial food ordering are only one part of the tenant experience, helping to form large, connected communities that people love.
It’s now easier than ever to make a positive impact on the modern workplace. Start building connections with retail and showing renewed appreciation for tenants: schedule your free consultation today.
