Among the changes that the pandemic brought to your life, do your workday lunch habits look different today? Do you leave the office for lunch less often than you did prior to 2020, or do you work from home exclusively now and eat there? A recent Washington Post story by reporter Taylor Telford explored the question “What Did the Pandemic Do to Lunch?”, and we thought it’d make for an interesting discussion today. Regarding the effect on restaurants, the story noted, “It used to be a vital part of doing business, but lunch is lagging in downtown areas as workers stay home.”

Readers, we’re wondering: Does this story ring true for you? Has the pandemic changed where you eat your workday lunches — or how you connect with business contacts?

{related: 6 tips for saving money on lunch (even if you eat out all the time!)}

Here are a few excerpts from the Washington Post story to kick off our discussion:

Business lunch will never die, but it’s evolving as the reassessment of work continues: Professionals who consider lunch an essential part of doing their jobs are going out far less than they used to. Upscale restaurants in big business centers can’t count on commuters and are scaling back offerings and slashing their hours.

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When workers do go into offices or are working from home, many are opting for takeout. Three-quarters of restaurant traffic is currently consumed not at the actual restaurant, or off-premises, up from 61 percent before the pandemic, according to data [from] the National Restaurant Association.

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Another reason restaurants in downtown areas might find themselves lacking in lunchtime traffic is because employers are going to greater lengths to make offices attractive, tempting workers to stay on-site with high-end corporate cafeterias.

{related: our best tips for business dining etiquette}

Do tell, readers: Have your solo restaurant lunches or lunches with colleagues or people in your network switched to phone calls or Zoom/Teams calls?

If you buy lunch, are you now more likely to answer “to go” rather than “for here”?

Have restaurants near your workplace limited their hours and/or seem less busy during the lunch hour?

If you have summer associates or interns coming to your firm or company in a few weeks, have the Powers That Be changed rules on networking lunches?

And if your employer has a cafeteria, have they improved it recently?