The RIE responds to the current challenges of corporate catering: flow management, cost optimization, and improvement of the guest experience. By pooling infrastructure and services, it has established itself as an effective model, provided that its operation is structured and the customer journey is streamlined, especially during peak hours.
‍
The inter-company restaurant is based on a shared model involving several companies using the same collective catering facility.
An inter-company restaurant (RIE) is a dining facility shared by several companies, usually located in the same geographical area. Unlike a traditional company restaurant, which is dedicated to a single organization, an RIE shares premises, staff, and operating costs.
It is usually organized through an association or inter-company agreement. It offers catering services tailored to a diverse population, while maintaining prices subsidized by employers. Access is restricted to employees of member companies, which ensures a controlled environment that complies with collective catering requirements.
The company restaurant is intended for employees of a single company, while self-service mainly refers to a method of distributing meals. The inter-company restaurant is distinguished by higher and more concentrated attendance, as well as by the diversity of profiles.
This reinforces the challenges associated with multi-company management, making digitization essential to ensuring a smooth customer experience in inter-company cafeterias.
‍
Setting up a multi-company restaurant directly improves employee comfort. Quick access to a hot meal, a variety of menus, and time saved during lunch breaks: the multi-company restaurant contributes to daily well-being at work.
From the employer's perspective, a shared company restaurant enhances HR appeal. It is a significant employee benefit that is valued during recruitment and talent retention. In a tight job market, offering high-quality catering solutions becomes a real differentiator.
Finally, the RIE promotes budgetary control through cost sharing and optimized attendance management, an issue closely linked to new work arrangements such as teleworking.
👉 To go further: Company cafeteria and teleworking: how to manage attendance
‍
The operation of an inter-company restaurant is based on a specific regulatory framework, which guarantees compliance with the system and the safety of stakeholders.
Inter-company restaurants generally operate as non-profit organizations under the French law of 1901 or as inter-company agreements. These structures define the rules of governance, financing, and responsibility.
The legal framework requires compliance with food hygiene and safety standards, facility compliance, and equal access for employees of member companies. Specific contracts govern these provisions, particularly those referenced by the SNRC, which provide a reliable basis for the legal structuring of an RIE.
From a tax perspective, employer subsidies related to collective catering are subject to a regulated system. Under certain conditions, they may give rise to exemptions and coexist with the use of meal vouchers.
The diversity of user companies requires consistent management of practices in order to ensure tax compliance and avoid any disparity in treatment between employees.
👉 To go further: Institutional catering: How to increase customer traffic
In a multi-company restaurant, payment management is a major operational challenge. Different payment methods can slow down the checkout process and impact the smooth running of the service.
Digitization makes it possible to centralize transactions, ensure reliable cash collection, and provide accurate traceability. It also facilitates management control by offering a clear overview of financial flows and visitor numbers.
‍
Faced with high and concentrated traffic, optimizing the operation of an RIE requires tools that can improve operational efficiency without compromising the customer experience.
👉 To go further: 15 innovations to modernize institutional catering [guide]
The smoothness of the customer journey directly affects satisfaction and capacity. Order kiosks reduce queues by speeding up order taking and payment, while limiting errors, particularly for specific dietary requirements.
They also help to enhance the overall offering, including drinks, desserts, and starters, which are often overlooked when time is short. Other solutions, such as click and collect, connected refrigerators, and internal delivery, help to smooth out flows and increase footfall without overcrowding the dining area. These levers are fully in line with an overall strategy to modernize inter-company restaurants.
👉 To learn more: 7 use cases for a ordering kiosk in institutional catering
The inter-company restaurant is establishing itself as an effective model for meeting the expectations of companies and employees. By combining a structured legal framework, management adapted to multi-company constraints, and digital tools focused on the customer journey, the ICR improves both the employee experience and operational efficiency. Streamlining the customer journey thus becomes a key lever for optimizing attendance and ensuring the sustainability of the system.
What is the difference between an RIE and a traditional company restaurant?
The RIE serves several companies and involves more complex management of flows, payments, and access.
What are the advantages of an RIE for companies?
Cost control, HR attractiveness, improved employee well-being, and infrastructure optimization.
How can you optimize the customer journey in an employee restaurant?
Through digitalization: ordering kiosks, cashless payment, click & collect, and connected solutions.
