THE AHEAD TEAM A Note from
Welcome to the first issue of Think Ahead this year, an opportunity to step back and explore the future amidst rapid change in the present.
Economic and supply chain uncertainty continue to challenge us all, demanding agile approaches and adaptability. Innovation often emerges from moments of flux; within the changing landscape lie opportunities to redefine our programs and sustainably deliver exceptional user experiences.
This issue dives into these opportunities, examining the evolving world of workplace dining and food innovation You’ll discover how food programs draw employees to the office, how community support fosters employee loyalty, and the strategies we can glean from independent restaurants to engage frontline employees. We're also thrilled to introduce two leaders, William Werner and David Swinson, and share insights from the ISS Americas executive team on leveraging AI to humanize recruitment. Finally, we'll give you a glimpse into our 2025 Food Trends Report, outlining the key culinary shifts shaping the year and how we’ve already brought them to our food spaces.
We hope this edition inspires you to navigate the complexities of 2025 with creativity and purpose as we collectively shape the future of food and workplace experiences.
The ISS Ahead Team
TRENDS ICON
Throughout this issue are examples of food and beverage trends from our 2025 Trends Report. Look for this icon to find them as you read
MOVEAHEAD ON HOW WE WORKANDLIVE
WORKFORCEThriving
LA WILDFIRE RESPONSE
SUPPORTING OUR CLIENTS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH FOOD
Our clients frequently look for ways to help their communities during a disaster, and food often plays a crucial role When the January 2025 wildfires in Southern California led to the temporary closure of our client Riot Games’s campus, Guckenheimer took swift action. The local team partnered with Winnow to divert over 1,000 pounds of food from waste and donate meals to Chefs to End Hunger. The team also partnered with World Central Kitchen and local restaurant SoCalo to donate 500 breakfast burritos and sandwiches to first responders and frontline workers
Our support didn’t end when the fires were gone. Guckenheimer and our parent company ISS partnered with Pasadena’s ArtCenter College of Design, culinary superstar Amanda Freitag, and our clients to host a fundraiser at the end of March. Chely Wright, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for ISS Americas, spoke at the event about how we can use the power, position, and resources at our disposal for good “We mobilized to feed first responders in the aftermath of these devastating fires, and then we asked ourselves three questions. Did we do enough? No. Can we do more? The answer is yes, we can. Then the question was: ‘So, what can we do?’”
The fundraiser was one answer to that question. We helped raise $150,000 to benefit ArtCenter’s Emergency Fund to support more than one hundred students, staff, and faculty who were displaced or lost their homes We also partnered with two womenowned restaurants, The Little Red Hen and Amara Kitchen, hubs in the Altadena community that were lost in the Eaton Fire The evening came to an emotional
FOOD FOR CONNECTION
DRAWING EMPLOYEES TO THE OFFICE WITH FOOD EXPERIENCES
If you want people to come to the office, give them a reason to stay: positive, connective food experiences. That’s the core argument Guckenheimer CEO Paul Fairhead makes in The Pulse, CoreNet Global’s thought leadership series, as he explores how companies can entice employees into the office.
As businesses continue to navigate in-person work strategies, data shows employees aren’t exactly eager to show up on days when they have freedom to work elsewhere According to Grace Hill’s KingsleySurveys, optional office attendance dropped by 3% from 2023 to 2024 Appealing food options can help counter this trend; the research also found that seven of the top 25 most-requested office amenities are food related Paul offers five strategies for food programs that excite and engage employees:
1 Menu for mood: Make dishes intentionally crafted to support mood, energy, and focus How so? Many plant-forward, nutrition-centered dishes deliver particular benefits and help mitigate the afternoon slump
2 Make it social: Offer opportunities for shared learning and connection through cooking demonstrations, communal dining pop-up events, and meditation and movement sessions Unique experiences like these add joy and novelty to the workday, while strengthening workplace relationships
3 Prioritize sustainability: Waste-reduction programs and local sourcing demonstrate a company's commitment to environmental responsibility a good thing, considering that most employees, including 96% of Millennial and Gen Z workers, want their employer to do more about sustainability
4 Celebrate your community: Partner with local businesses to showcase regional specialties local favorites and culturally timely staples Tailoring food strategy to
COST PER VISIT
HUMANIZING THE OFFICE WITH A NEW METRIC
If the adage “what gets measured gets managed” is true, then it’s important for companies to ensure they’re measuring the right thing. Outdated metrics can lead to ineffective strategies, causing companies to lose their competitive edge.
Recognizing this risk, technology company Atlassian developed a novel metric, cost per visit, to better reflect its distributed model that allows most employees to work from anywhere. Workplace strategy consultant Phil Kirschner recently spoke with Annie Dean, Atlassian’s Global Head of Team Anywhere, to learn more.
The Metric’s Origins
When Atlassian leaders started planning to reopen offices in 2022, after implementing the “team anywhere” policy, they found it difficult to have robust conversations with leaders about how much real estate was required They also didn’t have a metric that reflected the true cost of real estate and could facilitate collaborative decision making across silos The company looked at existing data to develop a more intuitive measure that was easier for leaders outside of corporate real estate to understand.
How it’s Calculated
The cost per visit metric calculates the total real estate expenses, including rent, operational costs, and food services, divided by the total number of visits from employees, guests, and contractors Atlassian utilizes IT/VPN data for employee attendance data and guest Wi-Fi data for visitor tracking This approach provides a clearer picture of space utilization, enabling data-driven decision making
How it’s Used
The metric's application extends beyond simple cost analysis. Atlassian now integrates dynamic data like visit frequency and travel distance, offering insights into why employees come to the office. This data informs office design and space allocation, ensuring spaces are optimized for their intended use. For example, offices with high out-of-town visitor numbers are tailored for gatherings rather than focused work
By providing a nuanced understanding of space utilization, the cost per visit metric facilitates productive discussions on footprint rationalization, office redesigns, and ways of working pilots. It fosters human-centered conversations, allowing leaders to prioritize employee needs and optimize resource allocation. According to Dean, this metric empowers leaders with a common-sense approach to managing office spaces, leading to more informed and effective decisions.
PLACEMAKERSEng g d
EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION
CELEBRATING PLACEMAKERS AROUND THE WORLD
With over 350,000 employees in 60 countries, Guckenheimer and our parent company ISS are built on a culture of belonging where Placemakers thrive, workplaces welcome everyone, and teams work seamlessly with clients. Employee Appreciation Day 2025, which occurred on March 7, was a powerful moment to celebrate our Placemakers, both virtually and in person.
A Day of Recognition
We hosted a virtual celebration of teams around the world with stories of leadership from the field, gratitude moments, and fun activities A curated playlist set the tone, and a raffle drawn every 30 minutes kept the energy high. The ISS and Guckenheimer executive team thanked Placemakers for their spirit of entrepreneurship, adaptability, and commitment to quality that sets us apart in the marketplace.
Personalized Celebrations
Many of us also gathered in person, with managers going the extra mile to make sure that Placemakers feel valued. Our North Carolina team decorated the break room and offered Crumbl cookies and cold brew coffee to give Placemakers a special space to relax together. Leaders at a unit in Oregon took a creative approach by gifting Home Depot cards, recognizing their team’s hard work through a thoughtful gesture
Why Appreciation Matters
Dr Bob Nelson founded Employee Appreciation Day in 1995 to showcase the importance of employee recognition, how to build a culture of recognition, and why it matters. Research from Gallup shows that workplace recognition motivates employees, makes them feel valued, boosts productivity, and leads to higher retention. The most impactful recognition is honest, authentic, and individualized, and employees find recognition from their managers and the company’s senior leaders as the most meaningful and memorable
By making appreciation from the executive team to line managers a core part of our culture, we empower Placemakers to deliver their best because when they felt valued, they create exceptional experiences for our clients.
RESILIENT HOSPITALITY CAREERS
DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS
Independent restaurants are no strangers to unpredictability After pandemic-era pivots and perseverance, 2024 was filled with rising costs, extreme weather events, and other indicators that the wave of change isn’t over. What’s the outlook for 2025?
The James Beard Foundation partnered with Deloitte to publish the 2025 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, which engaged over 350 chefs and restaurant leaders nationwide to identify strategies for resilience and reinvention
While there are differences between independent restaurants and corporate dining, the report sheds light on strategies that larger food service companies might undertake. After all, independent restaurants are a crucial training ground for professionals who join companies like Guckenheimer, and they shape our guests’ expectations for great hospitality Here are key insights from the report that we’re taking away:
CAREER
ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES SUPPORT HIRING AND RETENTION
Restaurants that provided career advancement opportunities experienced less difficulty in both hiring (1.2x less) and retaining staff (3 5x less)
After improving our retention in 2024, this year Guckenheimer is doubling down our efforts through middle management training, hospitality skills development, and refreshed career ladders
CREATE CHANNELS FOR TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION AND INVOLVE STAFF IN DECISIONS
Restaurants can use tools such as regular pre-shift meetings to enable open feedback and host brainstorming sessions to address cafe needs or involve staff in menu development
COMMUNITY CONNECTION DRIVES SUCCES
Community-driven events and local t into ives ctions hef the at I do. et "
This year Guckenheimer is piloting a redesign of our pre-shift meetings to scale best practices for encouraging frontline employee feedback We’re also implementing a quarterly process to collaborate with cafe teams on future menus
We participate in World Clean Up Day and step in when disasters such as the Los Angeles wildfires strike We encourage our Placemakers to give back, while investing financial and other resources in their communities alongside them. These efforts also show our clients’ employees that their company and its partners care
GLOBAL TALENT PARTNERSHIPS
FOSTERING NEW GENERATIONS OF SKILLED EMPLOYEES
Tight labor markets require creative solutions. That’s why ISS and Guckenheimer partner with local education institutions to develop pipelines for our future talent and the broader facilities management and food service sectors
When Colorado’s Boulder Valley School District launched a culinary arts vocational program for high school students, the local Guckenheimer team was eager to support it. We provided guidance and insights on the district’s teaching kitchen construction and served as guest judges at student culinary competitions We also hosted visits at a client site, where Guckenheimer team members spoke about careers in corporate dining and shared insights from their own journeys
Amber Graff, Culinary Instructor at the school, said that the “students walked away from that visit so inspired! It was fun to hear all the buzzing on the bus ride home.” Since several Boulder team members graduated from the district, supporting the program is also a way for current Placemakers to give back
ISS India collaborated with Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship University to create a specialized facility management curriculum, establish a hands-on working lab, and launch a robust internship program. The initiative not only equips students with practical, job-ready skills, but also strengthens our talent pipeline. In the first year alone, ISS offered five internships to program participants, with most on track for fulltime employment in 2025
Our experience shows the importance of strategic collaboration to shape the workforce and industry solutions of tomorrow. These community-based educational partnerships are a blueprint for how the private sector can help create future-focused development opportunities with lasting impact.
FOODEvolving
EXPO WEST
FORAGING FOR SNACK INNOVATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Guckenheimer’s new Director of Food Spots, David Swinson, recently attended the 2025 Expo West trade show to source innovative snack ideas
Expo West is often called the Super Bowl of natural and organic consumer packaged goods because of its massive size and influence on the industry. The show is where startups get their breakthrough deals, where established brands debut new flavors, and where retailers find inspiration and build evidence for their category strategies. It’s ground zero for people who want to understand how food is evolving.
With 20 years of experience at Whole Foods before joining Guckenheimer, David is no stranger to Expo West and has a keen eye for spotting new offerings that are likely to resonate with consumers. After two days of non-stop sampling and discovery, David shared some of his favorites with Think Ahead:
S’NOODS, crunchy noodle chips that come in savory flavors associated with classic noodle recipes like carbonara and ramen and an extension of the 2025 “newstalgia” flavor trend Lauryn Bodden founded the company after winning Netflix’s cooking competition show Snack vs Chef Evie’s Texas Pecans, crunchy pecans that are regeneratively grown on co-founder Eve Ackerley’s family farm in South Texas and contain a third of the sugar found in typical sweet nut products The pecans come in fun flavors such as Cinnamon Churro Geem her Ko the gro snack La Cro garner K-Berr that ca known
David is n
NEW HEAD OF CULINARY
CREATING SYSTEMS AND MINDSETS FOR EXCELLENCE AT SCALE
Our new Head of Culinary, William Werner, brings more than 25 years of experience from fine dining to entrepreneurship. We recently spoke with William to learn about his culinary and leadership philosophy.
You started your own business, Craftsman and Wolves, and grew it into an award-winning patisserie. What drew you to entrepreneurship?
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I tried starting a skateboard company in sixth grade and dreamed of owning a music label I’ve always been interested in design, branding, and conceptualization, in products that tell a story.
Cooking is an interesting career path because it blends manual labor and an artisan aspect developing your creative vision and using your skillset to bring it to life I spent a lot of time staging with different chefs. I learned what works and what doesn’t, which is just as important. I realized that I wanted to one day be in this person's shoes, mentoring others and working with a great team to make ideas come to life.
You were an early innovator in the modern bakery movement. Last year, 14 years after you started Craftsman, The New York Times ran a story about how we’re now in the golden age of American bakeries. What inspired you?
My background starting in savory, spending time in fine dining and boutique hospitality, was an inspiration. I learned how to entice a guest while building trust with them. That translated into our approach at the bakery: pairing familiar flavors with something intriguing
One of my favorite cakes had whipped coffee, coconut, and yuzu This was back before yuzu was everywhere. A guest can get behind coffee and coconut, but they might not understand yuzu So I’d speak with the front of house team about how to explain that yuzu adds a blast of floral brightness that cuts through the fat of the coconut and rounds out the coffee. It was about making our customers think, “I can’t get this anywhere else”
I also saw restaurants that were a fingerprint of their chef If it was a Daniel Patterson, a Michael Tusk, a David Kinch restaurant, you knew what to expect. I didn't see chef-driven bakeries and cafes That's what I wanted to create When the San Francisco Chronicle did a tasting of new bakeries in the city, the testers and writers were walking around the room saying, “That’s a Craftsman product ” That was one of the biggest compliments I got because we had created something that so clearly represented our North Star
How do you translate that chef-driven approach into what we do at Guckenheimer?
No matter the scale, it really comes down to the communication and the people. I’m really working with our team to establish a vocabulary, a sense of priorities, some long-term goals, and some sprint goals so that we can move the needle.
It sounds like you’re systematizing creativity so that we can execute it at scale.
Right! It’s that shared language around components and builds, and it’s also a different mindset. At Quince, we’d change the menu an hour before service because Michael Tusk would walk in with produce from a local farm You get really good at that creativity on the fly, but that’s not applicable for what we do here.
It's a unique situation because we have such a diverse team coming from different cooking backgrounds We’re teaching our teams to celebrate craft cooking and sound methods and techniques and do it safely and at scale.
I was always fortunate that my mentors took the time to help me become a better chef. It’s about cooking next to cooks, watching how they move It's so important That’s why I push us to think of these cafes as restaurants, and the local Executive Chef and Food Service Manager are the leaders of that business When teams understand the vision of their local leaders, and we’ve worked to ensure that vision is aligned with culinary leadership, we crush it. It’s about setting clear expectations and building discipline around them
Are there ways that you’re systematizing hospitality?
We’ve been incorporating hospitality training into pre-shift meetings, and we have English at Work and other tools that help build our team’s confidence. It’s also leading by example. Hospitality is contagious, and when we engage with the team as people, high-five them and recognize their work, that creates a culture of hospitality.
It’s also about engaging with users. You could have the most amazing dish, but genuine care and concern for the guest, acknowledging them, speaking with them about the food that’s the difference between users just going to a cafe versus having an experience
What other changes are you excited about for this year?
I’m excited that we’re partnering in new ways with our clients to put culinary-driven conversations front and center Cooking is the heart of what we do, though it’s an easy thing to lose sight of in such large and complex operations
We started a new culinary all hands meeting, where we talk about food and how we’re delighting users I’ve invited chefs like Evan and Sarah Rich from Rich Table to come inspire the team There’s also a new chat group where the culinary team can express their individuality and show off their food So we’re creating space for creativity and personal growth, and that will translate into elevated food and hospitality A priority for me is to ensure that these culinary conversations are happening not just with our chefs, but across our sites.
TABLE FOR ONE
INCREASING RATES OF SOLO DINERS DRIVE INDUSTRY CHANGE
The 2025 World Happiness Report, published in March, offers an intriguing hypothesis for why the United States dropped to number 24, its lowest slot in the annual ranking: Americans are eating too many meals alone. The report cites data from the American Time Use Survey, which found that about 25% of Americans report eating all of their meals alone the previous day, an increase of 53% since 2003. The increase among adults under 25 is much higher at 80%
What’s behind this shift in dining culture? The report suggests it may be due to declining social trust, while other research points to the decline in affordable sit-down restaurants. Yet it may be partially due to a positive trend: the growing interest in self care. For example, Tania Allen, who lives with Huntington's disease, wrote that dining alone helps her live on her own terms rather than those of her condition. For others, dining alone in restaurants is a mindful, even therapeutic experience Our 2025 trends research found similar stories of people cooking for one as a self-care strategy, especially for those who regularly cook for others.
These stories indicate that the context for solo dining matters. The question becomes how to enable eaters to meet their needs, and some restaurants are stepping up. For example, last year New York City restaurant Avant Garden launched a special menu and tableside drink service so that solo diners can connect with the bartender Casual chains like Applebee's place the bar in the center of the restaurant so that solo diners can be in the middle of the action if they choose. Not all restaurants are as welcoming. In February, The New York Times asked readers about their experiences dining alone. Responses include feeling judged, pitied, or like they receive a lower level of service.
For offices, the takeaway is to create food spaces that enable casual collisions, small group conversations, large team celebrations, and quiet moments for those who want a break from it all. The data also reinforces the importance of menus that reflect the local community and service that makes employees feel seen.
Food is about connection, whether with others or oneself. Spaces and menus that enable guests to meet their needs, and make them feel welcome while at it, are the ultimate display of hospitality
SYSTEMSDynamic
KITCHEN INNOVATION
ENABLING EFFICIENT, CONSISTENT COOKING WITH TECHNOLOGY
Guckenheimer's VP of Products, Matt Thayer, attended the 2025 North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers Show to explore innovations aimed at enhancing efficiency and consistency in commercial kitchens. He brought back three trends that have us thinking about new possibilities for high-volume cooking.
AI-Powered Cooking for Consistency and Sustainability
AI-driven cooking solutions minimize variability, improve labor efficiency, and optimize energy use. For example, UNOX’s Digital.ID combi oven automatically recognizes food items and selects ideal cooking parameters. Users can save preferences and profiles for specific recipes, ensuring consistency across multiple locations and across variability in team skill levels. These units also help kitchen teams cook more sustainability through automatic water and energy savings and a smart standby mode The system learns from user feedback to refine cooking programs, standardizing outcomes to ensure guests receive the same quality experience across units and freeing teams to focus on higher-value tasks.
Portable, Battery-Powered Cooking for Flexibility
Battery-powered induction cooking expands possibilities for catering, pop-ups, and decentralized service models Without being tethered to fixed power sources or open flames, chefs can prepare meals anywhere, streamlining setup and breakdown Bon Chef’s FreeRANGE battery powered induction cooktop has a cooking mode and warming mode for use in preparation, buffet lines, and beyond. This flexibility allows corporate dining teams to deliver interim solutions during space buildouts and extend services outside the walls of cafes, all with fewer energy resources required
Flexible Holding for Streamlined Logistics and Less Waste
Managing food temperatures across multiple service points often requires separate hot and cold storage. New holding technology switches between modes, simplifying food transport and service and requiring less square footage. They can also be more ffi i t t C b ’ C th it 48% l l t i it th t l
AI-POWERED RECRUITMENT
USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE
Amidst ongoing discussions about the influence of artificial intelligence on the workplace, ISS Americas has found it significantly accelerates talent placement and enhances onboarding.
Three leaders from ISS Americas Lisa Mitchell-Kastner (Chief People and Culture Officer), Alice Fournier (Chief Information Officer), and Marjorie McCarthy (Chief Marketing Officer)—recently shared their experiences using AI for hiring on a podcast hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup.
ISS integrates AI into the recruitment process from the beginning, using AI-powered tools to communicate with applicants in their native languages This expands the applicant pool and underscores ISS's commitment to inclusivity to potential Placemakers at the outset Applicants want to feel connected, valued, and understood, and AI helps us meet those expectations. AI also automates interview scheduling, significantly reducing the time between application and interview. ISS invested in this technology because it improves both the candidate and employee experience; outsourcing administrative tasks to AI frees recruiters and hiring managers to focus on higher-touch, human-to-human interviews and communications that they enjoy and are uniquely equipped to do
Once we hire a candidate, AI plays a pivotal role in personalizing onboarding. Realtime data allows ISS to monitor new employee progress, identify potential obstacles, and implement timely interventions. This proactive approach ensures smoother onboarding and accelerates the time it takes for new employees to fully contribute to the team Aggregated data across new hires provides valuable insights for continuous improvement and tailored experiences, resulting in a more engaged workforce Retention starts on day one, and better onboarding starts Placemakers’ journeys on solid footing.
Our experience demonstrates that intentional and thoughtful integration of AI can achieve both greater efficiencies and fulfillment at work
MOVEAHEAD ON TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY
THE LATESTTrends
2025 TRENDS REPORT
THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY
The culinary landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by evolving consumer values and an increased focus on health, sustainability, and unique experiences. This quarter, we put together a special edition of Think Ahead: a 2025 Trends Report
The report examines the key trends shaping the food and beverage industry this year The next page highlights three that we’ve already implemented in our food spaces.
UNCTIONALFOODS:BOTANICALBENEF
LEVELEDUPSKILLS:BACKTOBASICS
EMERGINGFLAVORS:DILLPICKLE
TRENDS IN ACTION
FLAVOR Dill Pickle
The Trend
This flavor is popping up everywhere, contributing a briny, tangy bite to snacks across categories.
The Trend
Eaters are searching online, in social media, and sourcing from traditional cookbooks for tips on how to be a better home cook.
The Trend
Botanical ingredients add color, flavor, and health benefits. Botanicals dovetail with a shift away from artificial dyes and flavorings and a growing interest in biodiversity.
2025 TRENDS: EMERGING FLAVORS, LEVELED-UP SKILLS, & FUNCTIONAL FOODS
In Action
Our team in San Francisco features Pop Daddy Pretzels Dill Pickle Pretzel Sticks, and Austin will introduce Deep River Spicy Dill Pickle flavor potato chips in Q2.
BASICS Back to
In Action
We revamped a four-week cooking skills course that we offer as part of a client’s teaching kitchen program for employees. Our chefs ran the first instance of the refreshed course in Q1 and will offer it each quarter this year.
BENEFITS Botanical
In Action
Guckenheimer coffee bars in California featured a Lavender Latte with Earl Grey Cold Foam to tap into the floral notes of lavender and bergamot in Earl Grey tea.
Unlock insightful perspectives and forward-thinking ideas, from creative food storytelling to how AI is driving efficiency across the food system, by catching up on the issues we released in 2024.
