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Used to be something that companies just generally recognized as a good thing. Look at workplaces built in the 60 to 80s and basically all of them had cafeterias as part of the building plan. [1]

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/24/nyregion/company-cafeteri...

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They were generally paid cafeterias though.

Subsidized. The trick was striking a balance in making the food cheap enough that the employees would eat it but not so cheap that the company is footing the entire bill.

When I worked at a merchant bank in London in the 90s there was a very good cafeteria with great food that was not free, but it was so subsidised that it might as well be.

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