Quick Answer
A company with 5–20 employees can offer lunch benefits through reimbursements, stipends, delivery credits, catering, or a restaurant meal program like MealPal. Start by setting a budget, deciding which days to cover, and checking what employees can conveniently use near the office. MealPal has worked with teams as small as five employees and can be a good fit when employees want to choose their own meals from participating restaurants nearby.
Is a 5–20 person company too small to offer lunch benefits?
No. A small company can offer a lunch benefit without a cafeteria, a dedicated office manager, or a large HR team.
The benefit can be modest: a contribution toward lunch on office days, a fixed monthly allowance, or a weekly team meal. The right approach depends on your budget, employees’ schedules, and how much coordination the company can handle.
What are the main lunch-benefit options for a small company?
The main options are reimbursements, stipends, delivery credits, catering, and restaurant meal programs. Each suits different needs, and some overlap: a stipend, for example, can be administered through reimbursements.
Lunch reimbursements
How it works: Employees buy eligible meals and submit expenses.
When it can fit well: Occasional lunches or teams with an existing expense process.
What to consider: Someone needs to review expenses and process payments.
Lunch stipend
How it works: The company provides a set allowance under its policy.
When it can fit well: Teams that prioritize flexibility across restaurants and locations.
What to consider: Decide how the allowance is funded, tracked, and used.
Delivery credits
How it works: The company contributes toward orders through a delivery platform.
When it can fit well: Employees who need or prefer delivery.
What to consider: Applicable fees, tips, and menu markups can reduce what the allowance covers.
Office catering
How it works: The company orders food for a group.
When it can fit well: Meetings, team events, and days with predictable attendance.
What to consider: Consider order minimums, dietary needs, delivery arrangements, and cleanup.
MealPal
How it works: Employees reserve available meals from participating restaurants and pick them up.
When it can fit well: Recurring office lunches where nearby restaurant coverage and individual choice matter.
What to consider: Check nearby meal options and whether pickup works for the team.
A company can also combine approaches—for example, an individual lunch benefit on regular office days and catering for occasional team events.
How much should a small company budget for lunch?
Start with three numbers: the number of eligible employees, the company’s contribution per lunch, and the number of covered lunch days.
Illustrative four-week budget:
- Employees: 8
- Employer contribution per employee, per lunch: $10
- Covered lunch days per week: 3
- Weeks: 4
- Total planned employer contribution: $960
The calculation is 8 × $10 × 3 × 4 = $960.
This assumes every employee uses the full contribution on every covered day. It illustrates an employer contribution budget, not a MealPal quote. Decide whether the contribution includes taxes and fees or whether those need a separate budget.
For a membership or monthly allowance, use the program’s billing structure to calculate the total instead.
Should lunch be fully paid or subsidized?
Either approach can work.
Fully paid lunch can make the benefit especially easy for employees to use. Define what is covered and how spending above the limit is handled.
Subsidized lunch lets the company contribute without covering the entire cost. Employees pay the remaining amount under the arrangement the company chooses.
A small company can also limit the benefit to particular office days or set a monthly contribution. MealPal’s corporate team can discuss the available funding arrangements with you.
How do you set up a lunch benefit for a small team?
1. Ask employees what they would use
Find out how often employees work in the office, whether they prefer pickup or delivery, and what dietary needs or preferences affect their choices.
Keep the questions practical. A benefit is useful when employees can find meals they want and access them conveniently.
2. Set the contribution and schedule
Decide how much the company can contribute, who is eligible, and when the benefit applies.
For example, an employer might contribute toward lunch on three regular office days each week. Another might prefer a fixed monthly budget. Define the approach before comparing providers.
3. Compare options using the same assumptions
Use the same team size, attendance pattern, and employer budget when comparing programs.
Consider what employees receive, what they pay themselves, and how much work the company takes on. For restaurant meal programs, check the options near your office.
4. Confirm the program details
Before choosing a provider, ask:
- How is the benefit funded and billed, including applicable fees?
- How are employees added or removed?
- What happens to unused benefits?
- What commitment and cancellation terms apply?
- Is a trial available, and how does it work?
For MealPal, the corporate team can walk through these questions during a consultation.
5. Explain the benefit clearly
Give employees a short explanation covering:
- Who can participate
- What the company pays
- When the benefit can be used
- How employees access their meals
- Who to contact with questions
Clear instructions help employees use the benefit and reduce recurring questions for the person managing it.
6. Review participation and costs
Choose a review date after launch. Check how many employees use the benefit, what the company spends, how much administration it requires, and whether employees find it useful.
Use that feedback to decide whether the contribution, schedule, or program needs adjusting.
How does MealPal work for a small company?
MealPal gives employees access to discounted meals from participating restaurants. Employees browse the available options, reserve a meal, and pick it up.
Coworkers can choose different meals and restaurants. One person might select a salad while another chooses a burrito bowl, depending on what is available nearby.
The company works with MealPal’s corporate team to discuss an arrangement that fits its budget and goals.
When is MealPal a good fit for a small team?
MealPal can be a good fit when:
- Employees regularly work near participating restaurants
- Employees are comfortable picking up lunch nearby
- The team wants individual meal choices
- The company wants to avoid coordinating a group order each day
- Available meals suit employees’ needs and preferences
- The corporate arrangement fits the company’s budget and schedule
Restaurant and meal availability varies by location, and MealPal meals cannot be customized. Reviewing the nearby options is a useful first step.
When might another lunch benefit work better?
A stipend or reimbursement arrangement may be more suitable when employees work across many locations or need broad restaurant flexibility.
Delivery credits may fit teams that need meals brought to them. Catering may be convenient for a planned meeting or a shared lunch where attendance is predictable.
Employees who need meal modifications may prefer an option that allows direct ordering and customization. Anyone with a food allergy should confirm ingredients and preparation with the restaurant; meal descriptions and dietary labels do not guarantee suitability.
Can lunch benefits work for a small hybrid team?
Yes. Start by deciding whether the benefit is intended for office days, remote days, or both.
For office days, individual meal selection can reduce the need to predict how many people will want a catered lunch. For remote days, check whether employees have suitable options near their different locations.
Choose a benefit that matches where and how often your team works.
How can a small company explore MealPal?
Email [email protected] or visit MealPal’s corporate website to discuss your team’s needs and request a free lunch-and-learn.
Have these details ready:
- Office location or ZIP code
- Number of employees
- Typical days in the office
- Approximate lunch budget
- Whether you want to cover all or part of employees’ lunch costs
The consultation is an opportunity to check local restaurant coverage and discuss how the program could work for your company.
What makes a lunch benefit successful for a small company?
A successful lunch benefit is convenient for employees, affordable for the company, and manageable for the person administering it.
Start with a clear budget and an approach your team can use. MealPal can be a good fit for small companies seeking individual restaurant choice and discounted meals near the office. Compare the options using your team’s actual needs, then review participation, costs, and employee feedback after launch.
