Office Lunches

What does being audited by the IRS, planning an office luncheon and attending an office luncheon have in common? Nobody wants to do any of those things. Planning an office luncheon that offers something for everyone and makes an office luncheon something to look forward to rather than loathe does not have to be a chore.

Office lunch fare no longer has to be stale sandwiches and tiny bags of chips nor does it have to be an elaborate catered affair that will break the budget. The main thing to remember when planning an office luncheon is that there will more than likely be several people attending who all have different tastes.

Perhaps the easiest kind of office luncheon to plan is an office potluck where everyone brings in a dish to share. If you would like you might want to choose a theme for the potluck, such as salads where everyone brings in a different kind of salad or sticking with that same idea ask everyone to bring in an ingredient for a salad. The same kind of idea would work for a baked potato bar also. Ask everyone to bring toppings for baked potatoes or simply ask everyone to bring in their favorite dish. Usually everyone has one dish that they make for just such occasions. Another idea for a potluck is to ask everyone to bring in their favorite Italian dish or Mexican dish or dish from some other country. Probably the most important thing when planning a potluck is having a sign-up sheet. This is a good way to assure you don’t end up with 12 green bean casseroles.

If you would rather not have a potluck then there are several restaurants that offer takeout and delivery specifically for office luncheons. Many offer a boxed lunch that includes a choice of sandwich or lunch portion salad, potato chips, drink and dessert. They lunches arrive at your office ready to be given to who ordered them and everyone should be relatively happy as they got to choose what they wanted to eat and drink.

Many restaurants have begun to offer catering with food choices that are more extensive than a boxed lunch but not as elaborate as a fully catered meal. Generally speaking you will be given a choice of two or three entrees, salads, dessert and drink to choose from. The restaurant usually delivers and will provide plates and cutlery if necessary.

Just a small amount of planning can make something that was once dreaded into something that employees actually look forward to attending and even planning.