[jfim]

It's a way to avoid taxes. The company writes it off as a business expense, while it is considered a qualified fringe benefit (non taxable) for the employee.

Furthermore, many of the tech campuses in the south bay don't have enough restaurants nearby to support all of their employees going out to eat lunch.

There's also something to be said for just grabbing lunch at the cafeteria with your colleagues as opposed to figuring out where to go eat, driving there, waiting for the order, eating, then driving back.