8 Budget-Friendly Office Catering Ideas That Will Please Every Palate
Boost employee satisfaction and strengthen team culture with these easy catering ideas.
Team lunches taste different in 2025. For today's hybrid and in-person teams that crave engagement, recognition, and connection, these moments can boost morale, strengthen team bonds, and create a more meaningful workplace experience.
The impact is real: employees who feel recognized are 37% more likely to stay loyal to their employer, and highly engaged team members are 87% less likely to look for new opportunities. But organizing meals for diverse tastes, preferences, and dietary needs can be time-consuming and complex for busy admins.
That's where DoorDash for Business comes in — simplifying the entire process with efficient solutions to help you show your team they're truly valued.
Why a shared team lunch is important for your business
Feeding your team isn’t just thoughtful — it’s strategic. When employees are engaged, productivity thrives. However, when engagement falters, the consequences are steep — disengaged workers cost businesses an astonishing $1.9 trillion in lost productivity, according to Gallup. And while there’s no single fix, food can be a powerful tool to fuel engagement.
Across industries, shared meals offer a proven way to foster connection, boost morale, and simplify logistics. In tech, teams might use shared lunches to celebrate product launches, power through hackathons, or make All Hands meetings more engaging. In finance, they can reward long hours, support lunch-and-learns, or help create warm welcomes for new hires.
The bottom line? A well-fed team is an engaged team.
Easy catering ideas for the office
Feeding a diverse crowd with group lunches doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Here are eight delicious and easy catering ideas your team will love — and all ready to order today with DoorDash for Business.
1. Boxed lunches
Perfect for meetings or on-the-go workdays, boxed lunches provide individual, portioned meals with minimal clean-up. Choose easy-to-distribute boxes with a varied array of portal meals such as sandwiches — including vegetarian and vegan options — and sides like chips or healthy salads. Employees can decide to enjoy their boxed lunches together or during meetings to keep work flowing.
2. Buffet-style hot meals
Great for events and large gatherings, buffet-style catering allows employees to customize their plates and share a communal experience. Think pasta bars, stir-fry stations, or hearty entrees with sides — ideal for 25+ person teams or cross-functional groups where a simple, crowd-pleasing meal is key.
3. Build-your-own bowls
It’s not the BYOB you’re thinking of. Build-your-own bowl setups are a smart option to accommodate a team with varied dietary requirements, letting employees pick their preferred ingredients to create their ideal meal.
For example, poke bowls can include multiple choices of proteins, vegetables, a rice or salad base, and a wide variety of sauces and toppings.
4. Pizza and flatbreads
Cater classic pizzas or gourmet flatbreads that are easy to share and customize. With options like gluten-free crusts and plant-based toppings, this is an office favorite that never goes out of style.
5. International cuisines
Spice things up with flavors from around the world. Offer Thai curries, Indian thali, Japanese bento, or Greek mezze platters for a cultural experience. This is also a great way to spotlight and support local minority-owned restaurants.
6. Gourmet sandwich and salad spreads
Upgrade your typical sandwich tray with artisan breads, unique fillings, and seasonal sides — all crafted to accommodate. Pair with fresh salads and toppings for a lighter, yet satisfying lunch option.
Ideal for workshops or team-building sessions, this setup keeps energy high and conversations flowing, without slowing anyone down.
7. Healthy and plant-based catering
Support workplace wellness with fresh, nutrient-rich meals that fuel both body and mind. Choose from vibrant, plant-forward options like roasted veggie bowls, hearty grain salads, and satisfying dairy-free dishes — delicious choices everyone can enjoy, not just those who follow a specific diet.
8. Breakfast or snack bars
Team meals don't have to stick to lunchtime. Start the day with a catered breakfast bar featuring bagels, pastries, yogurt, and coffee, or offer a mid-afternoon snack spread with sweet treats and energy bites for that perfect pick-me-up. You can even cap off the day with after-work mocktails to add a fun sober-curious twist to team socials.
Cater your next team lunch with DoorDash for Business
DoorDash for Business makes planning catered lunches easy with two flexible solutions:
Group Orders
Perfect for smaller in-person teams (up to 15 employees), Group Orders make informal lunches a breeze. An admin selects a restaurant. Each team member adds their own items to a shared cart up to 2 hours in advance, and the entire order is delivered together at whatever time you choose. Admins can either pay for the whole meal, or choose split billing so each person pays on their own.
Catering
Catering is a seamless solution for feeding larger groups. Meals are selected by the admin up to 2 hours in advance and delivered in either classic large trays, or convenient, individually boxed portions.
These options take the stress out of planning, offering easy customization, built-in budget control, and a streamlined ordering experience — no matter your team size.
The best part? You can make meals a consistent, scalable perk by building a program that aligns with your company's policies. Set rules and budgets by team, office, or individual employee for a tailored, compliant solution.
Make office catering effortless and impactful
Thoughtful, inclusive meals have the power to transform how your team connects, collaborates, and performs. With access to more than 500,000 local and national merchants (stores) on DoorDash Marketplace, DoorDash for Business makes it easy to feed your team — no matter the size, schedule, or occasion.
Sign up today and start planning your next catered team lunch hassle-free.
