The Blubber

Millions of people have returned to working in offices, but the anticipated boost for restaurants, salad bars, and sandwich shops has yet to materialize. Despite hopes for a rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted midday business, many workers now find that buying lunch is simply too expensive. As a result, more employees are bringing lunch from home in Tupperware and brown bags than they did a year ago.

According to data from consumer analytics firm Circana, the number of lunches purchased from restaurants and other dining establishments nationwide declined by 3% in 2024 compared to the previous year, falling to 19.5 billion meals—fewer than during 2020, when remote work was at its peak. At the same time, purchases of grocery and store-bought food intended to be eaten at home or brought to work for lunch increased by 1%.

Bethany Kennedy, an attorney based near Buffalo, New York, used to spend around $500 a month on weekday lunches. Rising living costs, including higher property taxes, prompted her to cut back. Now, she allows herself one restaurant lunch a week—only when she really wants it—and brings premade meals for the rest of the week, such as Southwest salads or frozen three-cheese rigatoni from Aldi. While she enjoys saving money, she admits it’s starting to feel repetitive: “I’m starting to get bored.”

This shift in lunchtime habits poses a challenge to the survival of delis, cafés, and other eateries located near offices—many of which barely made it through the 2020 lockdowns. Thousands closed permanently, and others relied on takeout for extended periods. In downtown Boston, most full-service restaurants still haven’t resumed lunch service, said Michael J. Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Alliance.

“We’re still not back at foot traffic levels that approach 2019,” Nichols said. He added that the alliance is keeping a close watch on how new tariffs and economic uncertainty may impact visits to fast-casual restaurants.

In an effort to attract more lunchtime patrons, restaurants and local business development groups are stepping up their efforts. High Street Place Food Hall in downtown Boston, which opened in 2022, hosts watch parties for events like March Madness and the Masters to bring in more daytime visitors. It has also introduced an online ordering system that allows customers to skip the lunch lines, said Lauren Johnson, senior marketplace manager.