Catering for Meetings at an Office or Shared Working Space
Catering for any meeting can be a daunting and time-consuming task. But don't worry, we're here to make it easy for you! Our team of catering experts is dedicated to ensuring that your meetings run smoothly, with delicious food delivered on time.
Tell us if this sounds familiar: the quarter is ending and your team’s calendar is packed wall to wall with meetings. Thankfully, you’ve already booked the conference room so at least Jerry can’t swoop in with a reservation and ruin your day (take that, Jerry). But now the client for your 12pm wants to cancel because they don’t like working through lunch. The solution is obvious: order catering for the meeting and meet through lunch. Even that has some pitfalls but CaterCow is here to help you out with some tips to get you through it.
Tips for Ordering Catering for Meetings
Be mindful of dietary needs
This is especially important in situations where guests might be joining the meeting from outside your company. You want to make sure that you have an even spread of vegan and vegetarian options as well as gluten-free dishes.
Mind the mess
Certain cuisine is a bit messier than others and that can be disruptive to a meeting. It is beneficial to lean away from any cuisine that requires eating with one’s hands rather than a fork. BBQ is delicious but it might not be the best fit.
Individual or buffet-style?
We recommend opting for an individual-style meal because a buffet line can be tedious, especially if people start getting up for seconds in the middle of a presentation. Each individual meal will come labeled with its contents (and if you decide to do a group order poll, it will even have each person’s name on it!). Plus individually-packaged meals eliminate the need for plates. And that brings us to our next point…
Have plates and utensils on hand
If your office doesn’t have non-disposable plates or simply doesn’t have enough of them, make sure that you have extra plates and disposable utensils on hand. Nothing stops a lunch meeting dead in its tracks more than the inability to actually serve and eat the food you ordered. Most restaurants can provide these items but it’s best to have a backup stock just in case!
Be realistic about timing
If the entrance to your building is complicated or time-consuming (needing to sign in, go through security, navigate to a freight elevator, limited elevator availability, etc.), it’s best not to schedule your food to arrive at 12pm for your 12pm meeting. It might be best to schedule for 11:45am to give the delivery driver the extra time they need.
Have multiple points of contact for receiving the delivery
This one can be tough because it’s likely that you don’t want more people involved than really need to be, but in the event of an emergency or illness, it’s important to have a backup contact or two who knows what to expect and can facilitate the delivery in your stead.
Keep your team happy even when they're working through lunch
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About CaterCow
We thoughtfully curate every option you see. We believe that food can inspire, spark conversation and bring people together. Our goal is to offer the best food for your group in a convenient-to-use, easy-to-order format.
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FAQ's
What enhanced COVID-safety protocols do you have?
When it comes to ordering food, you want to know that the meal is being prepared under strict health and safety guidelines. While the CDC says that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from food or its packaging is very low and that there have been no confirmed cases via food preparation, our goal is to go beyond that and partner with restaurants who are hyper focused on their customers and employees’ health and safety. Our restaurants sanitize their kitchens prior to opening, throughout the day, and again at closing of each day. Staff always wear masks and gloves throughout their shifts and conduct temperature and symptom checks before work, during their shifts, as well as before leaving each day.
Below are a list of procedures we stress upon our kitchens:
- Do not allow sick employees to work
- Do not allow any employee to work who has come back from an identified high-risk zone in the past 14 days
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water regularly, for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- Take extra precaution around food handling including changing of personal protective equipment such as food handling gloves
- Please exercise proper sneezing protocol: when coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue; throw tissue away immediately and wash hands
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough
- Above all, please exercise elevated cleanliness and carefulness measures
How are you different from other food ordering services?
Two main pillars where we stand out!
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Vetting and Quality standards: when you browse www.CaterCow.com/search you'll see photos of every menu we offer - these aren't fancy staged plated photos, but actual photos of the delivery. We vet all caterers - to join the website, caterers must apply and complete a test order with on-time delivery, good professional service, and good quality food. We remove caterers who are suffering quality standards.
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Simplicity: you'll find that ordering from us is quick, intuitive, and easy! Try it out! Instead of ordering based on a laundry list menu (full tray of steak, half tray of chicken, pint of guacamole) we ask for your headcount and make sure you have enough food for your team!
What is CaterCow?
CaterCow is a website (www.CaterCow.com/search) where you can order catering online. Whether you're looking for Mediterranean bowls for a team lunch, a hot breakfast for a sales meeting, or sweet treats for an event, CaterCow helps make ordering food for groups easy.
Where do you service?
We provide catering deliveries in NYC, the SF Bay Area, LA, Boston & Cambridge, DC, Chicago, Austin, and Dallas Fort Worth.