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Grubhub to provide NYC office workers free lunch on May 17, 2022

Skipping lunch while in the office? According to a new survey by the food-delivery platform Grubhub, 69% of Big Apple–based workers admitted to skipping lunch because they were too busy. To help them "reclaim" thier midday break, the company is offering up a free lunch for New Yorkers on May 17.

"This is just one small step in our larger mission to connect local restaurants with hungry diners,” the company noted in a statement. “Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 17, people in New York City can use promo code FREELUNCH at checkout in the Grubhub app for up to $15 off their order subtotal. Plus, Grubhub will be offering an additional $5 off promotion in NYC until May 31 for anyone who missed out."

Grubhub executive Ariella Kurshan told Yahoo Finance the Chicago-based company saw this as "a unique opportunity" to remind "busy professionals" of the platform's "convenience and speed, while also "driving business for local restaurants and giving more earning opportunities for drivers.”

For the online survey, conducted between April 26th to April 29th, Grubhub included 2,003 U.S. adults who were full-time employees for at least one year, ages 18-44, that worked in an office, full-time at home or in a hybrid work from home and in-office model. All NYC DMA respondents worked in one of the five boroughs.

Lunch foot traffic slow to return

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 29: A food delivery guy with scooter is seen at the Times Square in New York City, United States on December 29, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 29: A food delivery guy with scooter is seen at the Times Square in New York City, United States on December 29, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

This campaign comes as foot traffic at lunch spots like Chipotle, Panera and McDonald's, among other fast food chains, has been slow to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, according to the data intelligence platform Placer.ai.

Last year, Chipotle saw 28.5% of visits between the hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m, down from 31.6% in 2019. Similarly, Panera saw 34.4% of visits during that time in 2021, compared to 35.0% in 2019. Shake Shack saw 23.8% of foot traffic during those hours in 2021, versus 25.6% in 2019. Sweetgreen's 2021 foot traffic dropped to 29.5% in those prime lunch hours, compared to 32.2% in 2019. McDonand's also took a slight hit in the lunch category. In 2021, foot traffic in those hours made up 23.4% of visits, while in 2019, visits during those hours made up 25.7%.

R.J. Hottovy, Placer.ai head of analytical research, told Yahoo Finance this decline is partially the result of "more consumers working from home and not visiting their favorite lunch spots."

Lunch breaks positively impact quality of work

Taking some time out of the day to enjoy lunch may actually benefit both employers and employees alike, according to the survey conducted by Grubhub and employers.

In the report, 50% of New York workers and 47% of U.S. workers shared that "having a true lunch break" improves their mental well-being, with more than half of U.S. workers saying it makes them feel "re-energized and ready to take on the rest of the day."

Brooke DiPalma is a producer and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.

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