Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Rising restaurant prices are changing how Czech employees approach their working day, with more than half of respondents to a recent survey reporting that they sometimes skip lunch because of the cost. The 2026 FOOD Barometer, coordinated by employee benefits provider Edenred, found that 53.1% of respondents occasionally go without a workplace lunch for financial reasons, while 27.5% said this happens frequently or very frequently. The findings highlight growing pressure on everyday spending and raise questions about how changing eating habits could affect restaurants and food outlets serving major employment centres.
The average amount spent on a restaurant lunch reached CZK 202.90 in September 2026, compared with approximately CZK 149 in September 2021, representing an increase of 36.5% over five years, according to the Edenred Restaurant Index. However, the survey found that 68.6% of respondents were unwilling to spend more than CZK 170 on a standard lunch. The difference between typical expenditure and what consumers consider affordable illustrates the pressure facing restaurant operators attempting to balance rising operating costs with customers’ spending limits.
Restaurant visits have already been affected. According to the survey, 78.4% of respondents reduced how often they ate at restaurants during the previous year because of higher prices, with 52.4% reporting a substantial reduction. Consumers are also adjusting their orders, with 43.8% saying they avoid purchasing drinks because of the cost and 41.5% choosing not to order soup. These changes could be particularly relevant to restaurants dependent on lunchtime customers in office districts, business parks and mixed-use developments, where regular weekday trade can form an important part of revenue.
The international component of the FOOD Barometer suggests that Czech consumers are particularly sensitive to further restaurant price increases. Approximately 89% of Czech respondents said they would reduce restaurant visits in response to rising prices, compared with an international survey average of 82%. Only Bulgaria and Uruguay recorded higher proportions, at 93% each. The findings indicate that maintaining affordable food options may become increasingly important for restaurant operators seeking to retain customers in competitive urban locations.
Bringing meals from home has also become considerably more common. In 2009, approximately 9% of respondents reported taking their own lunch to work, compared with 54.4% in 2026. Previous survey findings indicate that employees frequently eat these meals at their desks rather than in dedicated dining areas. For office landlords and employers, this shift may influence demand for shared kitchens, dining facilities and other workplace amenities, although the survey does not directly measure changes in office design or leasing requirements.
Price sensitivity extends beyond restaurants to household food purchases. Around 68.4% of respondents reported buying at least half of their groceries at discounted prices, a proportion that changed little from the previous year. At the same time, 48.8% said they were placing greater emphasis on balanced nutrition than a year earlier, compared with 40.1% in the previous survey. Respondents identified limited healthy food options near their workplaces, higher prices and insufficient time for lunch as obstacles to improving their eating habits.
Employer-supported meals remain one possible way of addressing affordability concerns. The survey found that 38.4% of respondents believed meal vouchers helped them eat better-quality food, while 68.1% said they would improve their food choices if the value of their vouchers doubled. Although these findings reflect respondents’ stated preferences rather than independently measured changes in eating behaviour, they suggest that workplace food benefits remain relevant as employees respond to higher living costs.
For Czech commercial property owners, the findings raise broader questions about the relationship between workplace location, food services and occupier expectations. Restaurants and cafés in office-led developments may face pressure from reduced customer visits and lower spending per transaction, while affordable dining options could become a more important consideration for companies selecting premises. The survey does not establish a direct effect on restaurant rents, vacancy rates or office leasing activity, but it identifies changes in consumer behaviour that landlords and operators may need to consider when planning retail and food-service facilities.
The results suggest that the affordability of everyday workplace services is becoming an increasingly important consideration for Czech employees. As businesses assess employee benefits and property owners consider the facilities available within office developments, the availability of reasonably priced food may influence how attractive individual workplaces and surrounding commercial areas remain to their users.
