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When companies look for office catering in Berlin, the decision usually comes down to five things:
Adoption (do people actually eat it?)
Admin effort (who’s stuck coordinating and fixing issues?)
Cost predictability (can Finance plan it without surprises?)
Dietary coverage (does it work for real teams?)
Waste & sustainability (how much ends up in the bin?)
We’ll compare six traditional office lunch setups – and you’ll see why companies like GetYourGuide, Delivery Hero, and HelloFresh switched to a office catering program with in-app ordering and predictable headcount, built for hybrid attendance and real scale.
If that already sounds like what you’re looking for, let’s talk.
Berlin offices come with real constraints (access, limited kitchens, split buildings), so “good food” is only half the story – the other half is whether the setup holds up on busy office days.
Let’s start with the simplest option.
1. Food Vending Machines
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Pros:
Convenience: Available 24/7, offering quick access to meals and snacks.
Variety: Options range from sandwiches to salads, catering to diverse tastes.
Space-Efficient: Requires minimal space, making it suitable for smaller offices.
Cons:
Shelf Life Concerns: Long shelf life often necessitates preservatives, potentially compromising food quality.
Limited Freshness: While convenient, the freshness of meals can be questionable.
Lack of Personalization: Limited options for dietary restrictions and preferences.
Best for: Snacks, late shifts, “emergency lunch” coverage
ChefCoco Advantage: Fresh, chef-prepared meals delivered as a structured office lunch program – not shelf-stable food.
2. Buffet-Style Catering
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Pros:
Social Interaction: Encourages team bonding and socializing during meal times.
Variety: Wide range of dishes to cater to different preferences.
Cons:
Food Waste: Self-service can lead to over-serving and increased waste.
Long Lines: Popular items may run out quickly, leading to wait times.
Dietary Restrictions: Challenging to accommodate all dietary needs effectively.
Best for: Team events, celebrations, occasional “community lunch”
ChefCoco advantage: Individually portioned meals reduce waste and prevent “I didn’t get anything” moments – especially on high-attendance days.
3. Large Catering Platforms
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Pros:
Variety: Access to a wide range of caterers and cuisines.
Flexibility: Ability to choose different providers based on daily needs.
Cons:
Additional Costs: Service fees on top of catering costs can increase expenses.
Lack of Consistency: Quality and service can vary between providers.
No Centralized Service: Managing multiple providers can be cumbersome.
Best for: Occasional lunches when consistency matters less than variety
ChefCoco advantage: One provider, one process, one standard – designed for predictable daily operations.
4. In-House Canteen
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Pros:
Control: Full control over menu and operations.
Employee Engagement: Direct feedback from employees on food offerings.
Cons:
High Overhead: Significant investment in infrastructure and staff.
Financial Risk: If not utilized effectively, can lead to losses.
Operational Challenges: Requires ongoing management and maintenance.
Best for: Very large HQs with stable attendance and long-term commitment
ChefCoco advantage: A scalable alternative without upfront investment – you get the structure of a program without building a canteen.
5. Regular Food Delivery
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Pros:
Convenience: Easy to order meals as needed.
Variety: Access to different cuisines and restaurants.
Cons:
Choice Fatigue: Constant decision-making can be overwhelming.
Reimbursement Issues: Complicated processes for splitting bills and reimbursements.
Lack of Service: No dedicated personnel to handle issues or ensure quality.
Best for: Small teams, occasional lunch, low operational requirements
ChefCoco advantage: Employees order in-app with clear cutoffs and predictable delivery – the internal team isn’t stuck coordinating, chasing receipts, or firefighting.
6. Canteen Apps
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Pros:
Digital Ordering: Facilitates pre-ordering and payment through apps.
Efficiency: Reduces wait times and streamlines operations.
Cons:
Frozen Meals: Many options involve reheating frozen food, affecting freshness.
Limited Customization: May not cater to all dietary preferences.
Impersonal Experience: Lacks the personal touch of freshly prepared meals.
Best for: Offices prioritizing speed over freshness
ChefCoco advantage: Freshly prepared meals delivered daily – with filters for dietary preferences and a setup designed for real adoption.
Why companies choose ChefCoco for office catering in Berlin
ChefCoco is built as a daily corporate meal program – not a one-off catering vendor. The difference is the operating model:
High adoption: People choose their own meals, so they actually eat them
Low admin: No spreadsheets, no coordination, no chasing receipts
Predictable costs: Clear budget planning and simplified invoicing
Dietary fit: Filters and variety that work for mixed teams
Less waste: Made-to-order demand means fewer leftovers
Reliable operations: A consistent process that holds up when attendance spikes
Want to see what this looks like in real life?
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Case study: How GetYourGuide runs daily office lunch for 800+ employees in Berlin. Read more
Who ChefCoco is best for (and who it isn’t)
ChefCoco is a strong fit if you:
Have 100+ employees on office days (or growing)
Want lunch to run reliably across hybrid attendance
Care about adoption and dietary coverage
Want less admin load for Office / People Ops / Finance
You might prefer other options if you:
Only need food once per quarter (buffet/event catering may be enough)
Have a fully staffed canteen that’s already working and heavily used
Only want snacks and backup food (vending machines)
If you’re comparing office catering in Berlin and want a setup that’s predictable, scalable, and actually gets used:
Tell us your headcount, location, and office rhythm – and we’ll design a lunch program that runs smoothly in real life. Let's talk.
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FAQ
How is ChefCoco different from regular catering? ChefCoco is designed as a repeatable lunch program: predictable ordering, consistent delivery, and a process that reduces admin work week after week.
Does ChefCoco work with hybrid attendance? Yes. Employees order individually in the app (with a clear cutoff), so demand is based on real orders instead of forecasts.
How do you handle dietary needs? Menus include filters and options for common requirements like vegetarian, vegan, halal, and gluten-free (depending on the setup).
Is ChefCoco only for large companies? ChefCoco works best when you need a scalable, repeatable setup – typically for teams with regular office days and meaningful headcount.
Can we try it first? Yes – book a free tasting and we’ll propose a setup based on your office rhythm, headcount, and logistics.
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