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Lunchtime used to be a sacred institution in this country. Contemplating where to go even though it’s only 9 a.m., awkwardly standing in a circle making up excuses why you can’t drive, and trying to find a safe, yet respectable song that won’t make it weird with the rest of the team- these were staples. But not so much anymore.
These days, it’s hard out there for folks like us. Every day it seems like another coworker succumbs to FOLO, the fear of lunching out.
Me: “Where we going today?”
Will: “I actually brought something from home.”
Me: * feels like a loser, walks back to desk *
Yeah, it’s tearing office friendships and borderline acquaintances apart, and we’ve got the numbers to prove it. Sperling’s Best Places decided to look into the lunch habits of the modern office worker. The results are damn offensive to any self-respecting luncher.
National Findings
∙53% of people with deskjobs have experienced FOLO – unable to break away from their desks for lunch out. Top reasons include cost and convenience.
∙73% of people eat lunch at their desks at least two times per week, with one-third eating lunch “deskbound” EVERY day of the week.
∙Nearly a third (32.6%) of people say their colleagues rarely eat out during the work week
FOLO, guys. It’s real, and it’s probably an epidemic in your city. See if current city still respects lunch.
Most FOLO Cities
1. Baltimore
2. Orlando
3. Columbus
4. Sacramento
5. Salt Lake City
6. Phoenix
7. Washington DC
8. San Francisco
9. Hartford
10. NYC
Least FOLO Cities
1. Oklahoma City, OK
2. Louisville KY
3. Virginia Beach, VA
4. Buffalo, NY
5. Raleigh, NC
6. Cincinnati, OH
7. Cleveland, OH
8. Richmond, VA
9. San Jose, CA
10. Atlanta, GA
Look, I respect the occasional desk lunch, or even the random car lunch while you listen to sports talk radio and get real fired up about #sports, but we can’t forget about lunch. Thank God our friends at Fridays are showing a little initiative to change this. Fridays is starting a lunch movement and has declared April 13 National Make Lunch Count Day to remind Americans to get away from desks, boost their productivity and creativity and enjoy their new lunch menu. Fridays will award hundreds of FOLO-defectors with free lunch for two at Fridays in the form of a $25 electronic gift card.
I’m not telling you what to do, but I think you should go eat a meal somewhere tomorrow. And don’t try and act like you aren’t trying to crush some JD Sliders with the work wife.
Yeah, I didn’t think so..
Image via Shutterstock
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Dave
Lawyer. Writer. Dude doing business. I'm the meatloaf guy from tv.
@dcarterruff
@dcruff
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david@grandex.co
Baltimore is FOLO as fuck because their office is the safest place in the city.
I like your name.
Surprised there not more of us around here.
Postwarproblems
No clue why this was down voted.
Not being able to relate to college grads. PWP
I love eating out.
Just want to say how excited I am about this whole comeback Fridays has going on. Will be ordering a cup of dirt soon to celebrate.
But PGP definitely doesn’t get paid to push Friday’s, I swear. They just really like the place.
Living in a Least FOLO city and eating at your desk every day for the past six months. PGP.
I eat out even when there’s no one to go with. The lady at Firehouse and I are buds and she hooks me up with special stuff. Not about that FOLO life.
NYC is only on the list because spending less than $10-$15 on lunch is a complicated art.
Can’t get lunch for $10 but you can get a taste of heroin.