Real-Time Visibility to Optimize Caferia Experience and Efficiency Challenges Solution

A major telecom headquarters in Japan partnered with Butlr to improve the employee cafeteria experience while driving operational efficiency and reducing food waste. By using Butlr’s privacy-first thermal sensing platform, the organization gained real-time visibility into cafeteria occupancy and actionable insights to optimize operations.

• Employees often faced long waits and difficulty finding seats during peak lunch hours.
• Cafeteria staff lacked reliable data to predict daily attendance and meal volume.
• The workplace team needed data to support layout changes and flexible lunch scheduling.

Butlr deployed its privacy-first thermal sensing system to deliver real-time and historical occupancy insights:

Anonymous Thermal Sensors: Ceiling-mounted sensors track how many people are present and how long they stay—without capturing personal data.

Live Crowd Display: Real-time occupancy data is shown on a mobile-friendly page so employees can avoid peak times. Usage Analytics: Trends by time and day help operators forecast demand more accurately.

Smarter Meal Planning: Data informs food prep volumes, helping reduce waste and improve procurement.

Informed Layout & Staffing: Behavioral insights support layout changes and flexible scheduling during busy hours.

Better Employee Experience
Employees avoid peak congestion and enjoy meals more comfortably.
Less time wasted searching for seats.

Food Waste Reduction
Improved forecasting enables smarter food procurement.
Significant reduction in unnecessary food waste.

Peak Management
Data supports flexible lunch hour policies and optimized staffing.
Layout changes guided by real behavioral insights.

Butlr's real-time occupancy data enhance the cafeteria experience for employees and helps operators plan meals more efficiently—improving experience and reducing waste.
This solution is ideal for:

• Large offices with in-house cafeterias
• Hybrid workplaces tracking lunch trends
• Workplace and facilities teams focused on experience and cost