A lot goes into planning a successful office event. You have to coordinate entertaining activities, buy festive decorations, and find an accommodating venue — and that's just the start.
In other words, it takes work. But all this effort becomes effectively meaningless if you miss on the food and catering. It's what everyone will talk about the next day — and not in a good way.
To avoid this, here are some catering tips to leave your guests in good spirits.
5 essential tips for catering an office meal
1. Plan ahead
Don't wait until the last minute to order office catering. Try to book your catering well in advance, so you have time to collect everyone's food preferences and dietary restrictions, and work with the caterer to create an accommodating menu.
A good rule of thumb is to plan two to three weeks ahead of your event. But if you cater your event with DoorDash, you have more flexibility. Every DoorDash Verified Caterer lists minimum pre-order windows, delivery fees, and minimum order size. That way, when you go to a DoorDash catering storefront, you know exactly when to place an order and whether the restaurant can meet all your menu requirements.
2. Serve every taste
Not everyone in your office has the same tastes. So while you're planning, make sure you choose a caterer that can accommodate any special requests— whether it's vegan or gluten-free options, or other dietary restrictions.
One way to set your menu is to call the caterer and ask them if they can feed your team's various tastes — and how much those special requests cost. This process may take more time than you have, so if you're looking for a quick and customizable solution, look at the catering options on DoorDash. Every caterer hosts a storefront that mirrors what you would see on an individual delivery order. You can add items to your cart, customize your order, and make special requests. Doing this on DoorDash not just saves time but ensures no order gets lost in translation.
3. Consider the time of day
Think about why you're catering food for the office, and plan your order around this. If you have a morning meeting, a breakfast spread of bagels might be the way to go. If you’re planning a team lunch to celebrate a work anniversary, consider ordering sandwich trays or setting up a taco bar. And if you have an office holiday party, try a themed event with festive food and drinks.
4. Don’t forget the drinks
Your catering order isn't complete without something to drink. Fortunately, most caterers can accommodate both food and beverage orders. What you want to remember is the drinks should match the time of day and theme of the event. No one probably wants to drink a hot coffee with a taco bar, but they may enjoy a soft drink or cocktail.
So how much do you need to stock up for your event? A good rule is two beverages per guest for the first hour of the event, and one drink after that. More often than not, your event won’t need drinks for the entire night.
5. Keep it clean
The past few years have made us more aware of how germs may live and spread in the office. Luckily, there are precautions you can take to maintain a clean environment. For one, have extra napkins, plates, utensils, cups, and tongs available at every station. That way, guests don't have to write their names on a cup or walk around with a used plate. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also provide hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and masks for those who need them.
Catering can be a great way to ensure your team eats well at your next office event, and by following the above tips, you can ensure your catering order and event goes off without a hitch..
Contact us to learn more about DoorDash for Business Catering.
