China’s Factory Workers Get a Healthier Lunch

For evidence of the changes afoot at China’s factories, take a trip to Shenzhen and head to a cafeteria for lunch. On a mid-October day, Yao Weizhong, an assembly-line worker at the Stanley Black & Decker plant, is deciding between Hunan-style gingered pork spare ribs and Cantonese-style crispy duck. The options, he says, have improved greatly since catering startup Nourish took over the service last year. Aromas waft through the canteen from the other menu items—fried chicken and two kinds of noodles—as Yao digs into his meal.

Nourish, founded early last year, is one of several companies delivering a service that China’s workers are demanding. In the last few years, factory owners have focused on improving conditions—from raising salaries to boosting safety—to attract and retain employees. “If the salary’s the same, I’d leave to work for another factory if they have better food,” Yao says.