As an employee I also find it more convenient. I don't really want to pick people to go to lunch with, wait to be seated at a restaurant, wait for someone to ta

As an employee I also find it more convenient. I don't really want to pick people to go to lunch with, wait to be seated at a restaurant, wait for someone to take my order, receive a standardized quantity/proportion of food, wait for someone to come with the bill, decide how much to tip, etc. Instead I serve myself the exact proportions that I want, go find friends to sit with, eat, chat, then drop off my dishes and leave. The rituals of eating out and having food prepared to order are expensive and don't provide a lot of value to me over self-serve, generally speaking.