Bon appétit!
Have you ever thought about it: “the lunch table literally takes a central position in the office routine“? Of course you have. Every day. And not just because the “lunch table” finds itself in the middle of the day (obviously), but rather because – as proven daily in everyday experience– it actually plays a large part in motivation & productivity, concentration & activity, well-being & mood for at least an entire half-day.What will we have today? Will it be the usual tomato-mozzarella sandwich with an excuse of a piece of lettuce from the cheap store around the corner, or fat-soaked carbs from the Italian place whose chef has never been to Italy? Or how about one of those Asian restaurants that – ordered online and all as fast as lightning – deliver the flavours of India, China or Japan to the local office lunch table, mango lassi free-of-charge with the purchase of three or more dishes?
The selection gets bigger day by day, but the choice is not always easier. Nevertheless, everyone, from true to wannabe gastronomes or even socially committed chefs, agrees: Employees are among the well-nourished. Even without extensive field research, this fact increases productivity and reduces sick leave.
However, there are admittedly various interpretations as to what "well" means. Growing like a fungus in recent years from the most hidden street corners, fast-food lunch delivery joints sometimes view their role differently than hygienic and economically-minded industrial kitchens. And – let us dare to say– the affected themselves see it completely differently. For what do those people who work with their heads rather than their muscles, run a computer program rather than run, work more in knowledge than in manufacturing, eat?
There is a movement towards light, fresh, easily digestible…
Yet small, fine, imaginative chefs in urban population centres seem to be finding a growing, and primarily young, audience. Or maybe it’s the other way around: office workers are finding them. From soup bars to salad artists, fusion chefs to bio-bars that serve organic food, the local office lunch table scene again looks quite promising.
"The interesting thing is", raves gastronome Michael Vesely as he sips his espresso in his modern version of a Viennese "Beisl" or bistro in the middle of the so-called textile district of the 1st district, "that the lunch table also has another important added function and is not only about eating. Lunchtime is a break, downtime, it’s about winding down, a communicative rest, and possibly even a creative gathering. You just want to get out of your routine for half an hour, maybe you want to let off steam or see other people. Get input or simply get distracted."
The classic newcomer to the industry knows what he’s talking about. On the go in recent years as a CEO in the global IT sector and today as a "project-by-project side-business", he is a sought-after communications expert focusing on the web and social media. With his wife Adelheid Reisinger (who has also changed careers and is a screenwriter), he is pursuing his life-long dream. Today he recommends the Wiener Schnitzel made from Upper Austrian calf to Spanish guests, who get hopelessly lost from time to time in his small, fine gastronomical empire on the Salzgries. But, at lunch time, his main audience consists of the surrounding businesses, agencies, studios and publishing companies. Special fans of the culinary lunch break receive the daily menu sometimes via fax, so that they can stop by the reception desk on the way out to find out what they can expect. "As proprietor, you definitely have a certain amount of responsibility. Not only in the way that the cuisine has to be cleverly selected so that the guests don’t fall into a sleepy slump in the afternoon. People who leave the office at lunch want a tasty mini-vacation; they want a small event. And we have to provide them that in just under half an hour."
And when they sit together animatedly at small tables, they sometimes establish new and exciting contacts. The knowledge worker generation doesn’t suffer from fear of contact anyway. And you could certainly also drift off on your own, if you would rather do that. It’s mainly a change of scenery and getting away from the office culture, which still is bound to classic patterns and – let’s be truthful – only seldom radiates true spirit.
Which menu is being twittered today?
Most importantly, however, is that you get a seat when you need it. Therefore, it’s usually a good idea to make a reservation at popular lunch spots. There’s nothing worse than the disappointment of being denied. Vesely has his own plan for that. Had he not come out of the IT industry, he wouldn’t be aware of all the opportunities. He not only communicates with his guests in real-time, but mostly ahead of time virtually via twitter, Facebook, his website, newsletter and more.
By the way, do you know what one clever person said about the value of human nourishment? "A person is primarily a bag for putting food into", wrote George Orwell in his book "The Road to Wigan Pier". And he went on to say: "I think it could be plausibly argued that changes of diet are more important than changes of dynasty or even of religion!" .......But what’s on the menu for day?
Brigitte Schedl-Richter
