The Profiles Behind
Every Eater
A single CaterSurvey study maps your audience across five dimensions and 20+ distinct profiles — giving you the depth of insight no POS system or star-rating survey can match.
Food Profiles
How your eaters approach their daily meal
Every workplace audience is a unique mix of four food profiles. Understanding the balance between them is the foundation for designing an offer that truly fits.
With his main meal at home in the evening, Julien enjoys snacking throughout the day. He prefers light, on-the-go meals or snacks that he can enjoy at his desk. The Grazer values convenience and portability, seeking quick pick-me-ups that fit his busy schedule.
With a fixed meal budget, Lisa seeks satisfying food that offers great value. She prioritises filling options that stretch her budget while satisfying her hunger. Resourceful and savvy, she knows how to make the most of her limited funds without compromising on taste or quality.
Gérard craves the comfort of homemade dishes that transport him back to cherished family meals. Consistency is key — he likes knowing what he’ll have for lunch. With a fondness for familiar flavours and a yearning for nostalgic lunching, he finds solace in the comforting embrace of traditional cuisine.
Sophie expects to find the flavours she enjoys even while at work. She delights in tasting different international cuisines and seeks out new and intriguing dishes on the menu. With a passion for culinary adventures, she brings an appetite for diverse flavours.
Communication Profiles
How to reach each type of eater
The same menu change, communicated in two different ways, can generate enthusiasm or resistance. CaterSurvey maps your audience across four communication axes so you know whether to lead with visuals or detail, emotion or logic.
Maintain a versatile and evolving food selection. They place high importance on the communal experience during lunch. Design seating to encourage group lunching. Engage them with spontaneous promotions, enticing special deals, and strategically placed impulse-buy items. Captivate with striking visuals over detailed information.
Prioritise clarity and organisation in the food offerings. They lean towards healthier options and many prefer to dine solo or at their workstations. Bolster takeaway options. Roll out offers with ample lead time, granting them sufficient opportunity to strategise their buying decisions. Emphasise comprehensive descriptions over mere visuals.
Keep food offerings fresh and regularly updated. Prioritise clarity and detail — highlight specifics like nutritional information and preparation methods. Be mindful that overwhelming options could be counterproductive; simplicity is key.
Ensure the food selection is straightforward and structured. They lean towards healthier choices and often eat alone or at their desk. Consistency and detailed information matter. Highlight specifics including nutritional content and preparation techniques. Avoid overwhelming them with excessive choices.
Present a transparent, detailed, and organised food selection that is intuitive and easy to comprehend. They scrutinise communication and menu details before engaging. Keep communication concise and straightforward to prevent overwhelming them. Clarity and simplicity drive them to act.
Your approach should be all-encompassing. Food offerings are curated to meet not only physical demands but also social and emotional aspects. Presentation and visuals play a crucial role, with a strong emphasis on fostering community and social validation. Emotions are the primary driving force — ensure promotions evoke feelings.
The initial impression is pivotal. Ensuring the offer aligns with their preferences is crucial. Once you’ve pinpointed the perfect offer, you’ll have their loyalty. They’re decisive and committed — once they’ve set their minds, swaying their opinion becomes challenging. The upside? Their loyalty is steadfast.
Flexibility is key. Even if a particular solution didn’t resonate once, it’s worth revisiting. Consistent patterns of consumption are elusive with this group. Their engagement can be unpredictable, swayed by mood or feeling. Embrace variety — what missed the mark one day could be a hit the next.
Change Profiles
Who embraces change and who resists it
Introducing a new catering concept, adjusting prices or restructuring the offer? Knowing the change profile mix tells you exactly who will support the transition and who needs to be brought along — with the right message at the right time.
Always ahead of the curve, Eric is quick to notice shifts in the market or industry. He uses strong analytical skills to identify opportunities and challenges. To get him onboard, present facts and figures — show how changes are beneficial in terms of health, cost-effectiveness or sustainability.
Peter jumps right into action. Rather than spending time pondering over changes, he is quick to adapt and adopt new practices. Always ready to roll up his sleeves and tackle tasks head-on. Show him how he can immediately benefit — emphasise practicality and immediacy.
Isabel values tradition and stability. She has a deep understanding of established ways of working and prefers the tried-and-tested. Hesitant to accept new processes, she needs concrete evidence to be convinced. A patient and gradual approach works best — reassure her that favourites are still available.
Kate may show initial resistance, but once she understands the benefits, she is willing to learn and evolve. She can often be found trying to understand new processes and helping others do the same. Focus on advantages — explain how changes boost wellness, comfort or experience.
Office Profiles
How people work shapes how they eat
Someone who thrives in quiet, focused work will approach lunch very differently from a social butterfly who migrates to where things are happening. CaterSurvey maps eight office behaviours that directly influence eating patterns and restaurant design.
Practical, organised and thorough. Suzy prefers a conventional workspace that can be kept neat and tidy. She is quiet and stays focused on the task, using walls and furniture to create a defined area.
Independent, detached and objective. John likes his own desk or work area but is unfazed by the close proximity of co-workers. While his workspace may appear cluttered, this is organised chaos — he knows precisely where everything is.
Caring and compassionate, Elise usually likes to work alone but surrounds herself with personal mementoes. Office partitions are ideal — not only to keep noise at a distance, but also to provide space for items that mean something to her personally.
Creative and conceptual, Stephanie values workspaces that give her the opportunity to reflect and form thoughts. She enjoys gadgets and interesting objects to inspire original thinking. She won’t appreciate others being loud and distracting.
Decisive, clear and assertive, Steve likes to be in charge, organise others, and make things happen. His workspace needs clear pathways and meeting space where he can gather his troops and provide instruction.
A spontaneous, social animal who enjoys the buzz of the workplace. He is energetic and lives in the moment, enjoying interaction with others. He is unlikely to stay at his desk for long, preferring to migrate to where things are happening.
Supportive and friendly, Claire loves to have colleagues around and enjoys interaction. She values the ability to personalise her workspace and may encourage others to stop by for a chat and catch up.
Highly creative, Betty relishes opportunities to bounce ideas off others. She loves workspaces that enable brainstorming — flip charts, whiteboards. As well as thriving in a shared office, she likes an environment that’s a bit quirky or different.
Special Profiles
The eaters your POS never sees
Your point-of-sale data only captures people who buy. CaterSurvey goes further — revealing who skips the restaurant entirely and who just arrived and hasn’t formed habits yet. These are your biggest growth opportunities.
The employees who don’t use the company restaurant at all. They bring lunch from home, eat out, or skip lunch entirely. Understanding why they stay away — price, offer, timing, atmosphere — is the key to winning them over. These people leave zero trace in your sales data, yet they can represent a significant share of your potential audience.
Recently arrived employees whose habits haven’t formed yet. They’re open to trying the restaurant but need a positive first impression. Their onboarding experience with the company restaurant can determine whether they become regulars or join the non-user group. Reaching them early is critical.
And more… CaterSurvey can map many more special profiles tailored to your situation — The Healthy One, Generational Profiles, Information Freaks, and others. Contact us to discuss which ones matter most for your audience.