Automotive Supplier Canteen – 1,800 People

We have operated the canteen in three shifts since 2020 for the 1,800 employees of an automotive supplier in the Gebze Organised Industrial Zone. The customer's old canteen was renovated in 2020 into a new 620-seat hall; instead of its own kitchen, service was set up from our central kitchen by hot chain.

The solution

A separate menu plan for each shift, a 4-week rotation revised by employee surveys, and intense service capacity of 15 minutes between shifts. The number of self-service lines was raised from 6 to 10 and queue time fell from 9 minutes to 3.

Results

• Employee satisfaction rose from 71 to 89
• Food waste fell by 23%
• Cost per meal rose over six years by an average of 24% a year within the formula (PPI food index 31%)

Lessons learned

The rush at shift changes showed that flow design matters as much as the menu. Separating self-service lines into quick items (soup, rice) and items needing longer handling (main dishes) cut queue time by more than half.