Planning a work event is stressful enough without having to worry about whether everyone will actually enjoy the food. Between employees with dietary restrictions, coworkers who are notoriously picky eaters, and the inevitable person who complains that there wasn’t enough to go around, ordering food for an entire office can feel like an impossible task. Fortunately, learning how to order office catering can make the process much easier, whether you’re organizing a casual team lunch, an important client meeting, or a company celebration.
Knowing how to order office catering means understanding which types of meals work best for different workplace gatherings. A sandwich platter might be perfect for a quick lunch meeting, while a buffet with several entrees and sides could be a better choice for an employee appreciation event. With a little preparation, you can find something that satisfies different preferences without spending your entire budget.
Whether you’re planning your first company lunch or you’ve been organizing workplace events for years, these practical tips on how to order office catering will help you choose the right food, avoid common mistakes, and keep your coworkers happy!
How to Order Office Catering for a Work Event Without the Stress in 5 Steps
Figuring out how to order office catering starts well before you choose a restaurant or browse a menu. You’ll need to account for attendance, food preferences, delivery logistics, and a few other details that can easily get overlooked. Whether you’re planning a small department lunch or feeding an entire company, taking care of these decisions early can prevent unnecessary complications when the event arrives.
1. Start With an Accurate Headcount
Before requesting catering quotes, find out how many people will actually be attending the event. Your office might have 50 employees, but if only 35 are expected at the event, ordering for everyone could leave you with a considerable amount of wasted food. Send out an RSVP request with a clear deadline, and remember to include visiting clients, speakers, or other guests who’ll be joining the meal.
2. Set a Catering Budget Before Choosing the Menu
It’s easy to get carried away browsing catering menus (it’s happened once or twice to me before admittedly), especially when everything sounds delicious. However, establishing a realistic budget beforehand will help you narrow down your options and avoid spending more than your company intended.
Start by determining how much you can spend per attendee, then factor in expenses beyond the food itself like delivery charges, service fees, taxes, gratuities, and disposable serving supplies. Note: some restaurants also require minimum order amounts for catering!
If you’re working with a limited budget, consider ordering platters or buffet meals rather than individual entrees since, depending on the restaurant and portion sizes, these options may offer better value for larger groups.
3. Ask Employees About Dietary Restrictions and Food Allergies
Few things make an employee feel more overlooked than attending a catered lunch and discovering there’s nothing they can safely eat. Before finalizing the menu, give everyone an opportunity to share dietary restrictions, allergies, and relevant food preferences.
A short, private survey can help you identify whether you’ll need vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, or other specialized meals. Be particularly careful with food allergies, since avoiding an ingredient doesn’t necessarily eliminate the risk of cross contact during preparation.
When speaking with the caterer, explain any allergy requirements clearly and ask whether they can accommodate them safely. If they can’t, arrange an appropriate alternative rather than assuming a particular dish will be suitable.
4. Choose a Catering Style That Fits Your Event
The type of gathering you’re hosting should obviously influence how the food is served. A buffet might be perfect for an employee appreciation lunch where everyone has time to mingle, but it could be inconvenient during a presentation with a tightly scheduled agenda.
Individual boxed lunches are particularly useful for conferences, training sessions, and meetings where employees need to grab their food quickly. Shared platters work well for smaller gatherings, while larger celebrations may benefit from buffet service.
5. Place Your Order Early and Confirm the Details
Waiting until the day before an important event to arrange catering is asking for trouble, especially if you’re feeding a large group. For a routine office lunch, ordering several business days ahead is usually a pretty reasonable starting point. Bigger events, holiday celebrations, and complicated menus may require more planning time.
Related: Valuable and Interesting Lunch and Learn Ideas for Work
What Are the Best Office Catering Ideas for Different Work Events?
Choosing the right menu can make a big difference in how employees experience a workplace gathering. The best office catering ideas offer enough variety to accommodate different preferences while remaining practical for the event itself. A casual Friday lunch might call for pizza and sandwiches, while a more formal business meeting could benefit from individually packaged meals that are easier to distribute.
If you’re learning how to order office catering for different occasions, these ten options are worth considering.
1. Sandwich and Wrap Platters for Casual Office Lunches
Sandwich and wrap platters are popular office catering choices for a reason! They’re easy to serve, generally require minimal setup, and offer plenty of opportunities to accommodate different tastes. Consider ordering a combination of turkey, chicken, roast beef, and vegetarian sandwiches, along with a few wraps for additional variety. Add a couple of salads, fresh fruit, chips, or cookies.
This option is especially convenient for casual department lunches, shorter meetings, and workplace gatherings where employees may be eating at different times.
2. Individual Boxed Lunches for Meetings and Training Sessions
If you’ve ever tried passing around large food platters during a meeting, you already know how distracting it can become. Thus, individual boxed lunches eliminate much of that hassle by giving each attendee a complete meal that’s ready to eat.
Boxed lunches are particularly practical for conferences, employee training sessions, and presentations with limited breaks. They’re also easier to distribute across different rooms or departments, provided each meal is clearly labeled.
3. Italian Pasta Dishes for Feeding Larger Teams
When you’re catering for a substantial group, Italian food can offer a satisfying combination of familiar flavors and generous portions. A menu featuring baked ziti, chicken Alfredo, and pasta with marinara sauce provides different options without becoming overly complicated. Including a vegetable based dish can also help accommodate employees who don’t eat meat.
This type of meal works especially well for company celebrations, department milestones, and relaxed employee appreciation lunches.
4. Taco and Burrito Bars for Customizable Group Meals
A taco bar gives employees the freedom to build their own meals, which can be particularly helpful when you’re feeding people with different preferences. Instead of ordering identical entrees for everyone, you can provide several fillings, toppings, and sides. Get some seasoned chicken, beef, beans, rice, tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, and guacamole. Taco bars are a fun choice for team celebrations, casual company lunches, and gatherings where employees have time to socialize.
5. Barbecue Platters for Employee Appreciation Events
Barbecue is a great option when you want a catered meal that feels a little more special than the usual office lunch! Large trays of smoked chicken, brisket, pulled meat, and classic sides can turn an ordinary workday into a memorable team gathering. One thing to consider is the mess factor: saucy barbecue dishes are better suited to relaxed lunches than formal presentations, particularly when employees are dressed for client meetings. For outdoor company events, retirement celebrations, or employee appreciation days, however, barbecue can be an especially appealing choice.
6. Mediterranean Bowls and Platters for More Dietary Variety
Mediterranean catering is worth considering when your team has a wide range of food preferences. Many menus feature ingredients that employees can combine to create their own meals, including grilled chicken, falafel, rice, hummus, vegetables, and salads. A build your own bowl setup allows guests to choose their preferred proteins, grains, and toppings. You could also order platters of pita bread, grilled vegetables, and different dips for a more traditional shared meal.
This is a solid choice for professional lunches, company wellness events, and teams looking for something different from the usual sandwich platters.
7. Pizza and Salads for Relaxed Team Gatherings
Pizza is familiar, easy to share, and widely available, making it a convenient option for informal workplace gatherings. Instead of ordering ten identical pizzas, choose a reasonable mix of cheese, pepperoni, vegetable, and other popular varieties. Adding a couple of substantial salads can give employees another option and help round out the meal.
Pizza is particularly well suited to casual Friday lunches, team celebrations, and office game days.
8. Breakfast Sandwiches and Pastries for Morning Meetings
Not every catered work event needs to revolve around lunch! Breakfast sandwiches with eggs, cheese, and different protein options make a substantial main course. You can supplement them with muffins, bagels, fresh fruit, yogurt, and coffee for employees who prefer something lighter.
Try to include a few options without meat, and check whether the caterer can accommodate dairy or gluten restrictions when necessary. Breakfast catering is really useful for morning presentations, company announcements, and training sessions that begin before the usual lunch hour.
Related: How to Entertain Clients: Business Lunch Tips That Actually Build Relationships
Where Can You Order Office Catering for Your Next Work Event?
Each platform offers something a little different, so the best choice depends on your event, budget, and the type of food or supplies you need.
DoorDash for Convenient Restaurant Catering and Group Orders
If you’re planning a casual office lunch or want to give employees more choices, DoorDash is a convenient place to start. The platform allows you to browse participating local restaurants, compare menus, and arrange delivery without having to coordinate directly with each establishment. Depending on your location, you may also find restaurants offering larger catering portions and party platters.
ezCater for Large Office Lunches and Corporate Events
For businesses that regularly organize catered meals, ezCater is worth considering. Unlike general restaurant delivery services, ezCater specializes in catering for workplaces, making it particularly useful when you’re feeding larger groups or coordinating meals for important company events.
Related: How to Simplify Workplace Catering for Busy Teams With ezCater
Shipt for Office Snacks, Drinks, and Last Minute Catering Essentials
Even the most carefully planned catering order can run into problems when someone realizes there aren’t enough drinks, plates, or napkins. That’s where Shipt can come in handy. While the service primarily focuses on shopping and delivery from participating retailers, it can be a useful resource for picking up the additional items that make an office event run smoothly.
Which Office Catering Delivery Service Should You Choose?
The right platform ultimately depends on what you’re ordering and how many people you’re feeding.
| Platform | Best For | Main Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash | Team lunches, smaller meetings, and restaurant group orders | Convenient access to participating restaurants and individual meal choices |
| ezCater | Large office lunches, corporate meetings, and company events | Catering menus and ordering options designed for groups |
| Shipt | Office snacks, beverages, and catering supplies | Convenient delivery of additional food and event essentials |
If you’re learning how to order office catering for the first time, comparing these services can help you decide which approach makes the most sense for your event. You might even find that combining a restaurant catering order with a separate delivery of drinks and supplies is the easiest way to cover everything.
Whichever service you choose, confirm the final order, delivery address, arrival window, and any applicable fees before the event. A little coordination beforehand can save you from scrambling to fix missing items when your coworkers are already lining up for lunch.
Related: Best Food to Order for a Business Meeting Ideas That Impress
How to Order Office Catering for a Fun and Enjoyable Work Meal
Ordering food for a workplace event doesn’t have to turn into a logistical nightmare. Paying attention to dietary needs, choosing a menu with enough variety, and confirming important details with your caterer can make a noticeable difference in how smoothly everything goes. It’s also worth remembering that you probably won’t satisfy every single food preference, but giving employees a few appealing options can help prevent most complaints.
Ultimately, understanding how to order office catering comes down to planning ahead and thinking about the people you’re feeding. Whether you’re arranging a small team lunch or catering a company celebration, the right combination of food, portions, timing, and budget can make the occasion more enjoyable for everyone. After all, a successful work event should give coworkers something to look forward to, rather than another reason to complain.
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