Subpar food can sour an otherwise perfect corporate event or office lunch. Going with the “cheap” option for catering comes with its consequences, ranging from a mediocre meal to food poisoning. When you don’t pick a quality option, it makes your food (and your guests) feel like an afterthought. Researching and choosing quality catering is worth it in the end. If you’re going to commit to serving food, why not do it right?
Food at events, for example, helps things feel less intimidating, making it easier for attendees to feel comfortable actively participating. While it might be an icebreaker to talk about how bad the food is, that’s definitely not the kind of conversation you’d want floating around. Not only will it leave guests hungry, but the bad meal will also be associated with your company. Don’t worry though, we’ve got plenty of tips on how to choose quality catering and the benefits of thoughtful catering choices.
How to Choose Quality Catering
Once you decide you need catering for an event, there are some signs you can look for to ensure your catering choice is good quality. Looking at pictures of food isn’t enough, especially now that AI is becoming popular for some restaurants to enhance the appearance of their food. Websites like Yelp, Google Reviews, and Facebook can help you get a feel for the quality of the food. Some services made for businesses, like Zerocater, can curate your catering options as well, ensuring the food you get is high quality and you have a consistent experience every time.
You should ensure dietary restrictions are well accounted for on top of choosing a good catering service. Part of the catering experience is the experience itself, meaning if people who have dietary restrictions can’t participate or have very limited options, you end up alienating people in the process. According to FARE, a food allergy sends someone to the emergency room every 10 seconds. To avoid contributing to that number, try to get a feel for some common allergens that might be included in your group, or at the least include allergen warnings on your catered foods. Including vegan, keto, and religion-based diets should be considered as well.
No matter what you do, just remember to be thoughtful. The choices you make in your catering have an amplified effect, people will notice the effort you do or don’t put in. Whether it’s office lunches, company events, or a crunch time surprise for your staff, quality matters.
The Benefits of Quality Catering
Companies are often concerned about their ROI, and choosing to go with higher-quality catering options is included in that. Aside from a cool 50% tax refund on catered meals you provide, there are a lot of additional benefits as well.
Company Culture
Your company culture permeates everything you do, it’s the entire personality of your business. Every decision you make contributes to your company culture, and in turn, will be seen through your company culture. If you choose cheap, careless options for catering, it tells people your company is cheap and careless. 46% of job seekers cite company culture as very important when choosing to apply to a company, so try to consider how your catering choices align with your company culture.
Wellness
Incorporating wellness into your catering choices can help improve your staff’s health. You can do so with nutritious choices. Only 1 in 10 adults get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet, according to a study done by the CDC. Implementing quality catering helps you get nutrition to your employees, showing you care about their well-being and want them to feel good physically too. Food is fuel for our brains, so when you fuel your team with nutrient-dense foods, you’re preparing them to do their best.
Community and Sustainability
90% of employers say a sense of community is the key to success and a sense of belonging reduces employee turnover rates. There’s little time to get to know your coworkers, and giving your staff a place to have communal meals can mediate that sense of isolation. When you make experiences memorable through quality catering, it only enhances those feelings. Sustainability can be a big point for your catering too. We talk more in-depth about sustainable catering here, but the main idea is to choose quality, local ingredients, and eco-friendly packaging choices. The extra steps it takes for you to turn things sustainable enhances the quality of your catering not just in a literal sense, but in a “feel good” way too.
Productivity
Productivity is the ultimate trickle-down effect for every benefit we mentioned here. People who are happy with their company culture are more likely to proudly continue working at their current jobs. Wellness helps increase physical and mental health, and communal eating helps bring your staff together, creating new opportunities for your company to thrive. Ultimately, you don’t want to give your employees an uphill battle from the start. You can help make work easier, enhance creative ideas, and nurture your staff in a way that means something through a simple gesture like quality catering.
It’s Time to Implement Better Quality Into Your Next Catered Event
Are you ready to make the switch to better catering options? Zerocater can help you choose quality catering for your next office lunch or event. With a ton of local choices, it’s easy to use the Zerocater app to browse and choose catering without having to set it all up on your own. Even if you’re a small company with a limited budget, quality catering is attainable for you! We’d love to learn more about your catering needs and find something that works. Click on our “Get Pricing” button and send us a message about your company and catering needs, we’d love to work with you.
