How to Order Food for Your Meeting

Order Food the Easy Way

If you are planning a catered meeting, you have a lot to think about. Not only are you responsible for choosing the appetizers, hors-d'oeuvres, entrees, beverages, dishware, and utensils, you also have to acquire the space, send invitations, budget, and much more. And in most cases, that's on top of your already full plate (pun intended) of your day-to-day professional duties. Let CaterMeThis take the load off of you and help you find the right caterer to order food for your next meeting.

Although it can be fairly easy to order food in this modern day and age, it can still be a challenge to order the right amount of food, from the right caterer, at the right price. Ordering too much food can be a waste of resources and money, while ordering too little can leave some grumbling stomachs and unhappy employees. Continue reading to learn some important tips on how to order food for your meeting.

1. Understanding Your Budget

When you need to order food for your catered party, the first factor you want to consider is your budget. Basically, your budget will set the tone for how much food you plan to serve at your meeting. Furthermore, it is very easy to go over your spending limit if you do not pay attention, so work on finding a balance between the right amount of food and your set budget.

2. Please Every Palate

Dietary preferences aren't always just preferences, sometimes there are personal, medical, and religious practices to be respected. Keep a record, mental or otherwise, of how your office eats. Introduce a simple food questionnaire to keep track of the dietary needs of the office. Beyond dietary needs, your team also desires variety too. Meat-eaters can enjoy roasted Mediterranean veggies and homemade hummus just as much as the vegetarians, so try something new and gather feedback.

3. Consider the Essential Factors

Aside from your budget, the other influential factors for your business catering menu include your guest count, the type of event you are planning, and the length of time it will last. Is this a serious meeting with clients? Or is it an informal stand-up during lunch time? Is this a holiday event for the entire office? These factors, coupled with your desired spending limit, will help lay the foundation of how you order food.

4. Payment Considerations

Meeting food is generally paid for upfront via a company credit card, but CaterMeThis can accept payments via direct billing and purchase orders, pending approval. Sometimes, employees will pay with their own credit card and seek reimbursement from their employee. We make this easy by providing access to all your previous invoices in your CaterMeThis account, so you always have a receipt that's easy to find.

5. Be Prepared

In the morning of the day of your meeting, call the business catering company and confirm the food order, delivery location / meeting room, delivery time, and any other special instructions necessary to conduct a smooth delivery. In tandem, CaterMeThis will also be in communication with the caterer to ensure your food order arrives on time and accurately. Be ready for the delivery person when they arrive, and don't hesitate to call the caterer or CaterMeThis if they have not yet arrived 10 minutes before the meeting start time. You need that small window to set up the food without disturbing the meeting.

6. Dealing with Leftovers

There may be leftovers after your corporate meeting or event. Consider donating the food to homeless shelters or distribution organizations for the needy in the area. You can also give leftovers directly to your company's housekeeping department. They are the people who make your stay at the office comfortable, so show them you care!

In order to prevent any hiccups to your catered event, all of these factors must be considered ahead of time. CaterMeThis can make the entire process quick, simple, and painless. Try us for your next meeting to find out what it's like to order food on easy mode.

We're Here for You

We're always here to help satisfy your catering needs, stress-free. If you need help placing your order on CaterMeThis.com, please call us today at 713-842-7257 or email us at info@catermethis.com.