Where are your employees really dining? An analysis of corporate spending with Sparados cards

Table of Contents:

1. Restaurants instead of fast food

2. How much does lunch at a restaurant actually cost?

3. How much does the meal really cost?

4. What does this mean for your company?

5. Conclusion

In the era of remote work, frequent business trips, and increasing employee mobility, the question “Where and what exactly are our people spending money on?” becomes critically important. Although many companies have cost reporting systems in place, far too few have genuine control over everyday spending.

That’s why Sparados, analyzing data from over 100 companies using our business cards, decided to examine the structure of spending on gastronomy — one of the most recurring cost categories in every business.

Restaurants Over Fast Food — A Choice That Says a Lot

The analysis covering the period of April–May 2025 revealed a clear dominance of restaurant corporate spending over fast food. Out of 6,404 transactions, as much as 76% (exactly 4,863 transactions) were made at restaurants, while only 24% went to fast food (1,541 transactions). This difference is even more pronounced when looking at total spending volume. Restaurants accounted for nearly 828,000 PLN, which is more than 9 times higher than fast food, which reached just under 90,000 PLN.

From a company’s perspective, this insight is crucial — it indicates that employees don’t treat food simply as a quick energy boost, but rather as an important representational element: client dinners, team meetings, and regular meals during business trips.

How Much Does the Meal Really Cost?

Average transaction amounts also make the difference clear.

• Median restaurant expense: 45.48 PLN

• Median fast food expense: 28.60 PLN

While the difference may seem small at first glance, it translates into real savings — or losses — at scale, especially in companies where business travel is a daily reality.

It’s also worth looking at outlier transactions.

• The most expensive restaurant bill reached 5,909 PLN (around 1,383 EUR) — likely a client dinner or corporate event.

• In comparison, the highest fast food bill was “only” 648 PLN.

Top Vendors in corporate spending — Spending Geography

Interestingly, the most frequently chosen food provider was Wolt, appearing in over 750 transactions — not just in Poland, but also in branches in Tel Aviv and Nicosia. This highlights not only user preferences but also the distributed nature of modern business.

In the fast food category, local vendors dominated: Kawiarenka, Green Coffee, and Bonitas.

What Does This Mean for Your Company?

Instead of treating this data as a curiosity, ask yourself:Do I know what my employees are really spending money on?Can I identify recurring patterns, detect the most expensive habits, or figure out who travels the most — and costs the most?

With the Sparados analytics system, you can:

• Automatically group transactions by MCC codes (Merchant Category Codes)

• Identify employees who spend above average on business trips

• Analyze common transport expenses — do they prefer taxis, public transit, or their own vehicle?

• Detect unusual transactions that may need explanation

• Compare average hotel costs and identify the most budget-friendly and most premium users

  
  

Conclusion

The numbers don’t lie — in the world of business expenses, restaurants reign supreme, both in terms of number of transactions and total value. This is not just about convenience — it’s often part of business strategy and image.

Thanks to Sparados analytics, you gain full control and the ability to optimize. Your employees can work freely, and you can manage your budget consciously and efficiently.

Want to know how much each business trip really costs you? Who chooses five-star hotels, and who stays in hostels? Want to reduce unnecessary spending?

Log in to the Sparados analytics dashboard or talk to one of our advisors.

👉 See how the Sparados analytics system works

👉 See the newest ways of payments