Companies That Attract People Have a Reason. Bondish and Sannin Partner to Launch Next-Generation Workplace Proposals Integrating Office Design and 'Food Design'

Bondish Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shuichiro Uegata), which plans and operates employee cafeterias, in-house cafes, and catering services under the concept of 'connecting bonds through a delicious dish,' and Sannin Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Masanobu Azuma), which provides office design, interior design, construction, and ICT utilization support, have announced the start of a joint proposal for next-generation workplaces that integrate 'food' and 'space' with the aim of creating new value in corporate workplaces.

Through this partnership, the two companies will integrally design office layouts, interiors, furniture, and ICT environments, as well as in-house cafes, employee cafeterias, light meals, coffee, catering, and communication measures. They will support the realization of 'offices employees want to come to'—not just a place to work, but a place where employees naturally gather, conversations arise, and organizational unity is enhanced.

While a return to the office is progressing, the question being asked is 'the reason to want to come to the office'

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work and hybrid work have become established. In recent years, however, an increasing number of companies are re-evaluating in-office work opportunities, placing importance on face-to-face communication and organizational unity.

In this context, offices are required to serve not merely as workspaces but as valuable places where employees want to gather. For companies, designing workplaces that foster natural interaction and improve engagement, rather than simply setting designated office days, has become a key theme.

Furthermore, as more companies consider office relocation or renovation, there is a growing need for spaces that enhance employee experience value, in addition to location and interior design.

Offices are transforming from 'places to work' to 'places where people gather'

Now that hybrid work is established, offices are required to provide not only a comfortable working environment but also a place where employees naturally gather and communication occurs.

Bondish and Sannin focus on the everyday actions of 'drinking' and 'eating' in the office. By combining spatial design with food experiences, they aim to create workplaces that foster serendipitous conversations and cross-departmental interaction, enhancing organizational unity.

A new office proposal that integrates 'food' and 'space'

This initiative combines Sannin's expertise in workplace design, interior design and construction, furniture, and ICT environment building with Bondish's expertise in the food domain, including employee cafeterias, in-house cafes, catering, and menu design, to integrally support the creation of workplaces tailored to each company's challenges. This partnership goes beyond simply installing a cafe or cafeteria in the office; it designs the flow lines that naturally draw employees in, the stay experience, and the triggers for conversation. From both spatial and food perspectives, it supports the creation of offices that employees want to come to. It addresses challenges such as improving office attendance rates, activating inter-departmental communication, planning in-house cafe and cafeteria spaces during office relocation or renovation, strengthening benefits, and reviewing food environments at headquarters, research labs, factories, and regional offices.

What the joint proposal will achieve

1. Integrated proposal of office design and food design

In addition to office layout, flow lines, furniture, interiors, and ICT environments, it integrally designs in-house cafes, employee cafeterias, light meals, coffee, and catering.

2. Creating 'a reason to want to come to the office'

Using meals and drinks as a catalyst, it creates a place where employees naturally gather and conversations arise. It transforms coming to the office from an obligation into an enjoyable and valuable time.

3. Promoting internal communication

It encourages serendipitous conversations and casual chats that are difficult to generate through meetings or one-on-ones alone, supporting the building of relationships across departments and positions.

4. Designing space and food experiences tailored to corporate challenges

It proposes optimal plans according to each company's situation, such as headquarters relocation, office renovation, new lounge establishment, in-house cafe introduction, and cafeteria renovation.

5. Contributing to improving employee engagement

Through food and space, it creates a comfortable 'second home' for employees, supporting increased attachment to the company and improved teamwork.

Service areas

This partnership will focus on joint proposals in the following areas:

・Workplace design accompanying office relocation or renovation
・Planning and design of in-house cafes, lounges, and cafeteria spaces
・Introduction of employee cafeterias, kitchenless office meals, and light meal services
・Design of food experiences for coffee, drinks, snacks, breakfast, and lunch
・Planning and operation of in-house events, all-company meetings, social gatherings, and catering
・Space and food measures aimed at activating communication

Representative comments

Shuichiro Uegata, Representative Director, Bondish Co., Ltd.

The value of the office is changing from simply a place to work to a place where people connect and organizational strength is enhanced. Now that hybrid work is established, it is important to create reasons for employees to come to the office. We believe that one of those reasons is 'food.' Delicious coffee and warm meals become catalysts for natural conversation, fostering trust and organizational unity. Through this partnership with Sannin Co., Ltd., a professional in space creation, we will strategically implement the power of food in the office.

Masanobu Azuma, Representative Director, Sannin Co., Ltd.

Sannin has been working on creating spaces that integrate offices and ICT. In the IT world, we have evolved from the internet to broadband, wireless, and cloud, and AI will become central to work styles in the future. Meanwhile, office spaces have also changed with the times: from island layouts to designer offices, cafe-like offices, and hybrid-ready offices post-COVID. The evolution of ICT and changes in office space have always been closely linked. As AI-driven, digital-centric work styles become more prevalent, the role required of offices will also change. Beautiful interiors and functional layouts alone can no longer fully express the value of the future office. Precisely because communication through digital devices has become commonplace, it is important for employees to naturally gather in real spaces, have conversations, and cultivate corporate culture. Through this partnership with Bondish Co., Ltd., Sannin can now design the 'reason to come to the office'—something that could not be fully achieved through spatial design alone—together with the power of food. Conversations sparked by food will lead to communication that transcends departmental boundaries. We believe that this daily accumulation will cultivate corporate culture and enhance organizational unity. With Sannin's spatial design and Bondish's power of food, we will evolve offices from mere workplaces into places that are comfortable for employees and enhance organizational strength for companies.

Future developments

The two companies will expand their efforts to research labs, factories, and regional offices, focusing on headquarters relocations and office restructuring for major corporations. Furthermore, they will go beyond simply introducing in-house cafes or employee cafeterias, addressing corporate management challenges, organizational issues, recruitment and retention, and engagement improvement.