Tips for a Successful Catered Business Lunch

If you are meeting some important clients at lunch and don’t have time to meet with them at a restaurant, a catered lunch meeting at your office can be your best option. This lets you use your time effectively and talk about business privately. To help you ensure the success of your catered business lunch, here are some tips you can consider.

Pick a Dependable Catering Company

Your chosen catering service provider must have a reputation for being dependable. You don’t want your meeting mates to discuss business with an empty stomach. Find a caterer that will never fell through because you will be meeting with professionals whose hours are packed with appointments. If it will be your first time to hire a certain provider or lunch catering service, make sure you ask references and contact the given numbers to determine the reliability of the service. You will want to hire a caterer that will arrive earlier than expected so they have enough time to set up everything.

Pick Appropriate Menu

Choose a lunch menu= which will let everyone who attends to have something satisfying. You can ask your meeting mates t pick a meal beforehand and let the caterer bring boxed lunches. Also, a buffet-style catering is a great option to give your guests many food options to choose from. With a variety of dietary restrictions today, offer options for those on vegetarian, low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, allergy-laden diets. You can make this possible by picking many main dishes and sides.

Ensure the Meeting Room is Well Set Up

The meeting area’s furniture must be arranged in a way that allows for productivity in the meeting with the involvement of food. Ensure every person has enough table space to take notes and eat. In case the meeting includes making a presentation from the front part of the room, have tables arranged so everybody faces that direction. For buffet-style catering, food must be set up on the room’s opposite side from the front to avoid disruptions to the meeting when somebody gets up to get more food.

Be Efficient with Meeting Schedules

Come up with meeting schedules to make sure everything flows smoothly as expected. For instance, schedule food arrival early enough so set up will be done before people arrive. Have the first 25 minutes allotted for eating and small talks. And before transitioning into the main part of the meeting, schedule a short break for the table clean up.