FELFEL IN THE PRESS: the new watercooler - could a smart fridge be the key to getting people back to the office?

Apr 4

As offices spring back to life post-pandemic, a Swiss import aims to revolutionize workplace dining in the U.S. — and potentially solve one of employers’ biggest RTO challenges.

Founded in 2014 by Emanuel and Daniela Steiner, Felfel (which means “pepper” in Farsi) produces a smart refrigerator that has evolved from a novel idea into a high-tech employee perk and team-cohesion solution for more than 1,000 organizations globally, including GE, Equinox and Major League Soccer.

The company already accounts for 80% of Switzerland’s office lunch market and has now set its sights on transforming how the U.S. workforce transacts the midday meal.

These are not your standard breakroom fridges with sad salads and questionable leftovers. “Every day, we fill the fridge with fresh food that’s created by the best chefs, restaurants, and catering companies in Manhattan and Brooklyn,” explained Dave Phillips, who leads Felfel’s U.S. operations, based out of New York. “It is as fresh as if you walked across the street and got it.” And no junk food here — healthy choices like tofu wraps, homemade pasta and vegetable dumplings are the order of the day.

As for the “smart” part? Felfel’s proprietary algorithm learns the unique employee eating habits of each workplace, studying which meals and snacks are consumed most to ensure the right mix of options is always available.