On World Food Day, Edenred and Hora Romania are opening a national discussion about the importance of lunch as an essential link in a sustainable economic chain, during an event organized under the mission of the platform "Țara lui Mai Bine". Lunch goes beyond the everyday gesture and becomes a catalyst for the well-being of employees, companies, restaurants that serve their customers and the local producers that provide them with fresh products every day.
Representatives of Edenred, HoReCa, state representatives and local producers spoke about the importance of lunch and the launch of a novel concept under the mission of the Country of Better.
An initiative with an economic and social impact: "Țara lui Mai Bine's Country Kitchen"
"The Kitchen" is more than a dining experience, it's a call to action for companies, restaurants and consumers to reposition lunch as an essential part of the day:
Through the "Little Kitchen" concept, we are building trust and raising awareness that in the restaurants of the Land of Mai Bine, employees can find carefully cooked menus at lunch break, prepared with fresh local ingredients, just like in their home kitchen. Through this approach, Edenred and Hora aim to create a collaborative ecosystem that emphasizes the benchmarks of a more nutritious and healthy lunch for employees and supports local economic development.
"Through the Land of Better, Edenred is helping to transform lunch from a simple everyday meal into a conscious choice that supports the health of us all, as well as the development of the local economy. Through this project we aim to reinforce the principles of sustainability and generate a significant economic impact by facilitating a genuine connection between restaurants and local producers. The initiative reflects our commitment to social responsibility, employee health and wellbeing and the development of a circular economy. Market trends confirm this direction: seven out of ten restaurants report a steady increase in customer demand for local products, a sign of a natural evolution towards more conscious and responsible consumption. Țara lui Mai Bine capitalizes on these trends and turns them into a concrete impact, facilitating the sourcing of local ingredients, supporting restaurants in creating balanced menus and giving employees access to healthier lunches with a positive effect on health and the local economy", said Görkem Oran, Managing Director, Edenred Romania.
"Customers are looking for traditional menus based on freshness and local ingredients, and restaurants are quickly adapting by investing in healthier options and direct partnerships with producers. The collaboration between HORA and Edenred reinforces these practices and encourages restaurants to become models of sustainability and responsibility in their communities," added Radu Savopol, President of HORA.
Romanian restaurants adapt to new expectations
According to the latest data from the FOOD1 barometer, 84% of restaurant owners in our country are now collaborating with local producers and using products from Romanian suppliers in their recipes to meet the growing customer demand for fresh and healthy products.
At the same time, more than half of restaurants say smaller portions are increasingly in demand, with 45% of them noting a rise in demand for vegan dishes. At the same time, more than 90% of diners say a healthy meal for them means fresh produce and almost 76.8% say a healthy plate means more vegetables.
As a result, more and more venues are including vegetarian or vegan options (57%), providing clear nutritional information (71%) and explicitly marking healthy options on the menu (73%), helping customers to make more conscious choices.
The meal card scheme plays an important role in strengthening the local food ecosystem, with 8 in 10 restaurants reporting a positive perception of it: 68% say it boosts turnover, 44% note that meal card users return to the restaurant more often, and 41% say they spend more. These consumption habits contribute in a healthy and sustainable way to a food chain that has a positive impact on the health of Romanian employees and the local economy.
Barometer FOOD is an annual survey, carried out within the FOOD (Fighting Obesity through Offer and Demand) project, Europe's largest food education program promoting healthy eating habits. In Romania, the survey was conducted on a sample of 1,096 users and 100 restaurant owners during August 2025.