Humana.

I don't know what Humana's plans are, but many forward-looking employee-focused corporations use corporate dining rooms as an employee benefit. They offer great food, a lot of selection and partially (or competely ) subsidize the food to keep employees happy.

Years ago, my Dad had really cheap (highly company subsidized) lunches when he worked at Allstate corporate headquarters, and a lot of Silicon Valley firms do it now both as an employee benefit (people bring their families back for great dinners), but also to keep their techie staff on-site and working way into the wee hours....

Deb

I still haven't seen the justification for the post that was made on the CJ board. "Why is Humana trying to kill local restaurants?" I really am curious to know what Humana is doing to kill those local restaurants. Maybe Steve has some inside information he'd like to divulge on the forum. I am willing to venture that not one single restuarant will go out of business because Humana is providing a nice dining area and food selection for their corporate employees.

Go get em Doogy.....

Go get em Doogy.....

I'm not out to get anyone. It just seems when such an outlandish statement is made such as the one I quoted, there needs to be some factual basis for making it. Nothing more, nothing less.

I agree...there have been many more made on this forum besides that one....Some people are quick to blame "Others" instead of looking in the mirror and saying what are they doing that I am not and how can I change to make it better...Instead they just Bitch Bitch about the "Other Places/Guys" that people flock to daily... Kind of like some of the far far left wingers...Bitch Bitch Bitch about everthing...nothing is good everthing is bad attitude.....

Has anyone stopped to consider a common sense insight here?

OK, I'll admit, I'm a marketer, and this is my biz, but let's see, if I'm a Humana employee, what are my motivations....

1) Do I like monotony....or do I want variety?
That applies to an on-site cafeteria or a selection of local restaurants. When I worked at the Starbucks HQ in Seattle, we had a great cafeteria, but I didn't want to eat there everyday...but nor did I always want to eat at the BBQ joint, sandwich shop, brewpub or teriyaki place within walking distance. So I rotated between them. Why would anyone think that this same pattern wouldn't happen with Humana employees?

2) I occasionally want the opportunity to "run into" someone who might benefit my career/project/idea
This is as much a point of an on-site cafeteria as anything else. If you have people working in team environments, as a company, you want to encourage environments where they might stumble upon one another and be able to talk without the formal barriers. Believe it or not, this actually does happen in cafeterias. OK, I can only speak from experience in 3 corporations - two that had them, one that didn't, and I can say that the one that didn't suffered because of that missing "equalizer."

No, it's not the great egalitarian, utopian playing field, but it's also not an evil plot to kill local restaurants. My guess is that Humana associates will use it in a "rotation" with all their other options. No one will go out of business simply because it now exists. People get tired of the same thing all the time - what ever that "same thing" is.

I have decided to delete my further responses. I refuse to negotiate with someone who threatened me via private messages with my post to another board, to bring it here for "discussion", which in reality is a corporate cheerleader trying to shame someone like me who actually gives a damn about Louisville and its small businesses. Since there's now a trend about "being done with threads", I am done with this one.

I agree...there have been many more made on this forum besides that one....Some people are quick to blame "Others" instead of looking in the mirror and saying what are they doing that I am not and how can I change to make it better...Instead they just Bitch Bitch about the "Other Places/Guys" that people flock to daily... Kind of like some of the far far left wingers...Bitch Bitch Bitch about everthing...nothing is good everthing is bad attitude.....

Hoorray!.....let's here it for "far left wingers"!! And damn do I ever have a GREAT attitude!!

My guess is that Humana associates will use it in a "rotation" with all their other options. No one will go out of business simply because it now exists.

Melissa, I think you're right on. I like the new HUM cafeteria and I'll probably go there at least one day a week. I think it's a great benefit for employees because they offer healthy, gourmet-quality food at a reasonable price. But I'll still go to TCs and Luigi's and Cravings like I did before. In fact, I was at Cravings yesterday and it was just as busy as ever -- and I saw plenty of people with HUM badges.

[Robin Garr]

let's hear it for "far left wingers"!!

Left hand raised here ...

My guess is that Humana associates will use it in a "rotation" with all their other options. No one will go out of business simply because it now exists.

Melissa, I think you're right on. I like the new HUM cafeteria and I'll probably go there at least one day a week. I think it's a great benefit for employees because they offer healthy, gourmet-quality food at a reasonable price. But I'll still go to TCs and Luigi's and Cravings like I did before. In fact, I was at Cravings yesterday and it was just as busy as ever -- and I saw plenty of people with HUM badges.

You are both spot on. I've been there 4 times in 3 weeks. That means I've been somewhere else a whole lot more than at Humana's dining area. By the way, every one of those other places I visited is a local eatery.

[Robin Garr]

You are both spot on. I've been there 4 times in 3 weeks. That means I've been somewhere else a whole lot more than at Humana's dining area. By the way, every one of those other places I visited is a local eatery.

I don't think there's been any real controversy in this thread since the beginning ... in one of the first responses, I pointed out that the CJ having an employee cafeteria did not seem to do any real damage to the many eateries around the south end of downtown where Times and CJ employees used to break for lunch.

But that being said, and not to be critical but just to carry on the discussion, simple economics suggest that if you ate in the company cafeteria four times in three weeks, those are four lunches that private establishments in the area did <i>not</I> get to sell. So, although the assertion that Humana is "killing" the competition might be a little silly, in the simple world of free-market economics, it's hard to see how a company cafeteria is <i>helping</i> other eateries in the neighborhood.

It would be interesting to know what discussions went on among Humana management when the decision to open a cafeteria was made. Do they see it primarily as a perk and benefit for employees, or primarily as a revenue center? Not to mention secondary issues like making it convenient for workers to eat in and spend less time away from their desks.

You are both spot on. I've been there 4 times in 3 weeks. That means I've been somewhere else a whole lot more than at Humana's dining area. By the way, every one of those other places I visited is a local eatery.

I don't think there's been any real controversy in this thread since the beginning ... in one of the first responses, I pointed out that the CJ having an employee cafeteria did not seem to do any real damage to the many eateries around the south end of downtown where Times and CJ employees used to break for lunch.

But that being said, and not to be critical but just to carry on the discussion, simple economics suggest that if you ate in the company cafeteria four times in three weeks, those are four lunches that private establishments in the area did <i>not</I> get to sell. So, although the assertion that Humana is "killing" the competition might be a little silly, in the simple world of free-market economics, it's hard to see how a company cafeteria is <i>helping</i> other eateries in the neighborhood.

It would be interesting to know what discussions went on among Humana management when the decision to open a cafeteria was made. Do they see it primarily as a perk and benefit for employees, or primarily as a revenue center? Not to mention secondary issues like making it convenient for workers to eat in and spend less time away from their desks.

That's all fair and reasonable to me. 2 things I'd like to note are the fact that Humana has added approximately 3-4,000 jobs in the Louisville area over the last 2 years. I am sure that has tremendously helped the local dining scene. The other is that in response to your last paragraph, I would venture to say that the area is a nice perk for us and that I am sure upper management likes the fact that people are staying in touch with each other, not leaving the campus, per se, and also getting some work/meetings done during the lunch hour. Personally, when I dine there, no work is involved. That hour is my time and I use it to relax, eat and enjoy the company of my friends. Robin, if you want to come down one day, I'll give you a tour of the whole restored area, not just the dining area.

[Robin Garr]

Humana has added approximately 3-4,000 jobs in the Louisville area over the last 2 years. I am sure that has tremendously helped the local dining scene.

Good point! In the spirit of civil debate, I'd add that this would depend on the level of the jobs, salary and benefits. UPS adding 4,000 part-time, low-pay student workers on the night shift might not have the same spinoff benefits as 4,000 new full-time, skilled white-collar jobs. In the nature of things, it seems reasonable to assume that the Humana jobs are largely skilled and full-time. Correct?

Robin, if you want to come down one day, I'll give you a tour of the whole restored area, not just the dining area.

Cool! I'd like to do that, although probably not until after Derby. Next week is shaping up as <i>busy</i>.