2026 DoorDash Workplace Meal Trends Report
Learn when teams actually work, what they choose to eat, and how companies use meal programs to support engagement, maintain wellbeing and drive retention.
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AI’s 9-to-Whenever Reality Signals a Shift
As the 9-to-5 disappears, when and how teams eat is changing alongside it.
The 9–5 Is Fading
AI companies trade lunch rush for a pricier late‑night dinner dash.
Intentional Office Comebacks
Large in-office group orders rise and peak midweek across industries.
Orders Mirror Workload
Employee choices often reflect work demands and mental energy.
Meals as a Wellness Benefit
Employer-funded meals nudge employees toward healthier choices.
Workplace delivery isn’t just about convenience. It’s a behavioral signal of how work is evolving — and how companies are adapting to support their teams.
Industries working (and eating) around the clock
Fast-growing industries order more after hours
Industries with rapid growth see the most weekday orders placed by employees after 6:00 p.m. The industries topping these charts are: AI startups (62%), followed by banking (48%) and pharma (38%).
During the weekend, pharma and consulting dominate workplace orders.
Lunch Rush or Dinner Dash? AI Companies Order Later
While most workplaces hit peak orders around noon, AI companies are fueling up between 5 and 7 p.m.¹ As company culture cultures evolve, so do their mealtime habits.
As company cultures evolve, so do their mealtime habits.
Leaders in late-night orders
In fast-growing industries, workplace meals reveal how work increasingly extends beyond traditional hours. After-hours and weekend orders show where workdays stretch longest and where food plays a critical role in sustaining non-traditional schedules. Of all work orders placed through DoorDash², the Bay Area (24%) leads in late-night workplace meal orders for companies, followed by Manhattan (23%), Chicago (20%) and Austin (20%). These locations align with where AI talent¹ is concentrated.
What meal trends say about the new workday
The office is back and busiest midweek
Large workplace orders grew 30% faster year-over-year than regular orders. Orders rise during the week, peaking on Thursdays with 20% more than Mondays.²
Meals concentrate around collaboration
Large orders to work have shown the highest year-over-year growth during key planning and holiday months like March (+33%), September (+30%), and December (+34%).²
On Monday It’s Greens, By Friday It’s “I’ve Had A Week”
Healthy Meal Orders Are 30% Higher on Tuesdays
than Fridays
Healthy intentions peak early and fade fast: a trend which reveals a clear shift from early-week discipline to end-of-week indulgence.
Staples like salads, rice bowls, and sandwiches dominate overall orders.² ³
Quick Caffeine becomes
fuel for the team
Coffee and tea orders build steadily throughout the week and peak on Fridays, signaling how employees increasingly rely on caffeine to power through mounting demands and close out the week.²
From free food to feel better fuel
Meal plans encourage
healthier habits
Meal benefits can nudge healthier behavior — even under pressure. Employee meal programs are emerging as one of HR’s most flexible wellness levers.
Employees who use employer meal programs and order more than once per week² are 54% more likely to choose healthier³ meals than those who order once a week or less.
High-profile industries
Spend more
High-profile and fast-growing industries tend to spend more per workplace order.
Consulting shows the highest average spend, and AI companies also spend about $6 more per order¹ than other industries², pointing to a shift toward using meal benefits as a meaningful employee perk.
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