Are you lucky enough to have a cafeteria at work? If so, you should be happy about it, because not all workplaces have one. This is despite the fact that employees want a cafeteria, as recent surveys show.

It's not just a desire to have a cafeteria – employees in Norway also want good cafeteria food. They don't want gross rolls with cheese and ham; they want fresh ingredients and healthy food. If you're the boss of a company that still has coffee and snack vending machines in the hallways, you should read this.

An increasing number of companies involved in catering and canteen operations report that their customers want healthier and more varied menus, and several companies have found it necessary to abandon their old habits and concepts.

This may lead to increased costs for companies, but satisfied workers who eat well will in turn be able to deliver results in the form of increased productivity. However, it is no coincidence which companies want a more lucrative selection in their canteens—surveys show that it is the top companies in Oslo, and especially those based in Bjørvika, that want an extra good selection in their canteens.

Here is the country's best cafeteria

Teknisk Ukeblad decided to find out what is served in Norwegian canteens, and took a tour to visit some of the largest companies in the country. Among other places, they visited FMC Technologies in Bergen, and found that the selection of food in the canteen here was better than what many of us eat at home for dinner.

The menu included everything from cod with bacon to fish cakes and fresh salad. It's a far cry from the dry rolls many of us are served at work, perhaps with a slice of cheese and a small piece of ham.

The aforementioned cafeteria serves not only lunch, but also breakfast and overtime meals. Perfect for those who want to go straight to work when they get up in the morning, and also for those who like to stay late at work.

And there is no doubt that this arrangement, with such a good selection of food, has been appreciated by FMC employees. More and more people are staying longer at work, and it is rare for anyone to leave lunch feeling dissatisfied. Not least, the selection is characterized by a lot of healthy food.

But does it cost a fortune to shop in such a good canteen? Not necessarily, if we are to believe the company's managers. There is a joint venture between the company and its employees, so that the food you buy at work costs about the same as you would normally pay in a canteen. And that sounds very reasonable!

Costs of canteen operation

While some companies choose to follow FMC's approach of creating a unique canteen, others are more concerned with saving money. There is no doubt that running a canteen is expensive, but who should bear the costs?

Should food prices be raised so that the company does not lose money, or should they be shared with the employees so that they are actually tempted to shop in the cafeteria? The latter is probably the best solution, and we know that many Norwegians think that today's cafeteria prices are generally too high.

One of the many expenses involved in running a cafeteria is cleaning. You may be able to get by with cleaning the rest of the office space once or twice a week, but the cafeteria usually needs to be cleaned every single day.

This, in addition to the costs of staffing the canteen, is one of the reasons why many companies choose to prioritize self-service vending machines and dispensers over this type of operation. There is no definitive answer as to what pays off in the long run, but there is no doubt that those who have a canteen at work appreciate it.