Breakfast Posts

With its beautiful weather, equally attractive homes and lawns, and abundance of fun things to do around every corner, Burlingame, California, is a morning person’s dream-come-true. Even if you’re not an early bird who is used to starting your routine with a run on the beach or a brisk walk to work, there are still plenty of options for breakfast in Burlingame available at all hours of the day. Whether you’re seeking some traditional early-morning sustenance delivered to your home or office or you’re thinking more along the lines of a “brinner” (breakfast at dinner), here’s a look at some of the city’s top breakfast spots that are sure to have you rising and shining with the best of them.

FG Bakery Café

FG Bakery Café became a fast favorite in the local food scene when it opened over the summer, and while the cozy, family-owned café boasts a broad menu full of popular breakfast favorites, its omelets are its undeniable stars. Particularly impressive is FG’s Seafood Omelet, which offers up shrimp, avocado, mushrooms, white onions and jack cheese served inside three eggs. Packed with plenty of protein and equally impressive flavor, the Seafood Omelet is just what you need to get the day, afternoon or evening started out on the right foot. When it comes to simple, straightforward food packed with plenty of flavor, FG Bakery Café delivers on multiple fronts.

Cocola Bakery & Pastry

Life in Burlingame is pretty sweet as it is, thanks to the city’s abundant shoreline, friendly residents and ample trees and greenery, but it becomes even more so with some bites and snacks courtesy of Cocola Bakery & Pastry. Not unlike a traditional Parisian patisserie, Cocola offers up an abundance of pastries, whole cakes and tarts, many of which are elegant in appearance and therefore perfect for upscale occasions. Think Three-Color Chocolate Mousse, for example, which delightfully combines white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate to create the ultimate delectable dessert option that’s as ideal alongside a cup of coffee as it is as an after-dinner treat. Cocola Bakery & Pastry’s menu satisfies more than just a sweet tooth, however, and it also includes a number of sandwich, soup and salad selections for those seeking something more on the savory side.

Franklin St. Caffe

Thanks to generous portions, first-rate ingredients and friendly customer service, Franklin St. Caffe is an undeniable crowd favorite when it comes to breakfast in Burlingame. It’s not just about the first meal of the day, either, as Franklin St. Caffe also offers a broad array of food options intended for the afternoon or evening hours. Think plentiful pastas, seafood-focused entrees and deli sandwiches, just to name a few. But for those seeking traditional breakfast and brunch options, Franklin St. ups its game even further. Among the eatery’s more popular breakfast dishes is its Franklin St. Scrambler, an egg-based option that boasts smoked salmon, cream cheese and onions set atop eggs. Served all day, it’s a great choice if you are looking to pack a protein-powered punch into your morning, afternoon or evening, and it also offers up plenty of essential vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and selenium.

Delivery to Your Door

Arguably the best thing about breakfast or brunch is that many of the foods commonly associated with these meals taste just as great later in the day as they do during the early-morning hours. Bacon cravings can and do come at any hour, but there are plenty of places that serve breakfast in Burlingame all day and are more than willing to accommodate such a longing. Even better? Waiter.com was created to help bring you these breakfast and brunch favorites where and when it’s convenient for you, whether that means delivering a basket to you on the beach or a platter directly to your office. Next time you’re looking to up your breakfast game in the Burlingame area, consider convenience. How nice would it be to have the city’s most sensational dining options delivered directly to you, without you having to deal with the hassle of traffic and parking? You no longer need to make meal pick-up a pre-planned part of the day. With Waiter.com, you simply make your selection, stay put and sit back, because some of the city’s most desirable breakfast options will soon be on the way.

Each year, people journey from all over the world to visit India. Is it the famous Taj Mahal that attracts them to this magical land? Or perhaps the lustrous Golden Temple? While there’s plenty about this special place to entice visitors, one of its biggest draws is its cuisine. Like the country itself, Indian food is vibrant, colorful, and wildly varied.

Thankfully, there’s no need to make the trek to India in order to soak up the smells and tastes of delectable, authentic dishes like tandoori chicken and samosas; we have the good fortune of being able to order from one of the myriad Indian restaurants right in our local area. The only question remaining is: how to best take advantage of this abundance of delicious opportunity?

There’s such a wealth of appealing Indian dishes from which to choose that it helps to have some guidance when narrowing down our orders, especially for a group of employees whose tastes are apt to vary. Since September marks Better Breakfast Month, why not aim to expand beyond the traditional morning fare? To ensure that everyone on staff comes away satisfied, here are some tried-and-true suggestions for the best Indian dishes to order for the most important meal of the day at the office.

Dreaming of dosas

What better way to start the day than with a fresh, hot Indian breakfast? But instead of going for a dish with which most people are familiar, like samosas, trying giving some lesser known Indian treats — such as dosas and uttapam — a shot. Dosas are an extremely thin pancake or crepe, wrapped around a filling that varies depending on what kind you choose. Served warm, they also come with an assortment of sauces including coconut chutney, sambar (a lentil stew), and ghee (Indian butter). The pancakes are made from a rice-based batter, which means that dosas are both wheat-free and gluten-free.

For the conservative eaters in the office, plain dosas are an easy introduction to this tasty morning treat. However, chances are that most of the office will be up for exploring more: the masala dosa (spiced potatoes) is sure to hunger-sating hit; the vegetable dosa (stuffed with steamed veggies) is yummy and nutritious; and an egg dosa is full of hearty protein. As with most Indian food, it’s completely fine to eat dosas with our hands. There’s nothing more satisfying then tearing off a piece of a warm masala dosa packed with spiced potatoes, dipping it into chutney or ghee, and tasting the subsequent explosion of flavors.

Healthy vegetable uttapam

A nice alternative and/or addition to an order of dosas is vegetable uttapam. Like the dosa, this is another warm breakfast pancake that’s gluten-free and wheat-free, served with accompanying sauces in which to dip. However, the uttapam pancake is both thicker and fluffier than the thin dosa crepe; it sits flat, with veggies, onions, and potatoes already mixed into the batter and cooked inside. This is a light, tasty dish that will surely please anyone on staff — even those who may be too hesitant to try the dosa. Both dosas and uttapam are authentic Southern India dishes. There can many different ways to cook these meals, so having an open mind is helpful.

Spiced chai tea

No traditional Indian breakfast would be complete without a steaming cup or two of chai tea. This drink is served all over India: from train and bus stations (and on board these moving vehicles), to family gatherings, restaurants, and gas stations — chai is the drink of India, made with black tea, plenty of milk, spices, and sugar. It can be akin to a liquid dessert, depending on how much sugar you add, and how rich and creamy the milk is. If you’d prefer to offer employees a healthier option, let them add their own sugar, so they can moderate the amount. Similarly, having some sugar-free sweeteners and low fat milk on-hand are useful for health-conscious staff. And since black tea contains caffeine, a nice hot mug of chai will leave the office ready to start the day, full of energy.

While dosas and uttapam are excellent options with which to treat your employees, these simply scratch the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Indian dishes. Once your staff get a taste of what’s possible with food from this incredible country, there’s bound to be frequent requests for more of this flavorful cuisine. Waiter.com is ready and waiting to help you bring the best Indian food to your office — what will you order this week?

Let’s face it: it can be hard to get your office motivated for early morning meetings. Racing to get to work for an earlier than normal start time – especially for a meeting that requires a lot of brain power – isn’t topping anyone’s shortlist of favorite things to do. But bringing something different to the table – like an energizing, Paleo-inspired breakfast – will help to make life a little easier, at least when it comes to motivating your staff to get in an hour earlier than usual.

A growing percentage of the population has started to incorporate the Paleo craze into their lifestyle – it’s estimated that around one million to three million Americans joined the Paleo ranks last year. Because the Paleo diet is based on eating real, unprocessed foods, people find themselves experiencing a lot of health related benefits – like higher energy levels, better sleep, sustained weight loss, and simply feeling healthier on a daily basis. With this in mind, offering some Paleo-inspired dishes that are a take on everyone’s favorite breakfast foods is one way to help your office fuel up for the day while sampling a different style of healthier living.

Here are a few options you should consider the next time you’re planning on having a catered office breakfast delivered to your meeting to help everyone take on the rest of their day. Keep in mind that for all of these options to be considered truly Paleo, you will have to request that no dairy products – like milk and butter – are used when cooking. Unsweetened almond milk or olive oil are common substitutes in many restaurants. Also, you should make sure that any meats you order aren’t processed and contain only natural ingredients. Ham and broccoli mini frittatas: Frittatas are a common breakfast item at restaurants – and they’re typically Paleo approved, which means this is the perfect base for a Paleo breakfast meeting. The frittatas are full of protein and adding broccoli is a great way to boost brain power due to the copious amounts of vitamin K found in this veggie. Sausage and scrambled eggs: As you likely already know, protein is a great way to energize your day – which makes this classic breakfast dish a great option for kicking off an early morning meeting. Plus, it’s an easy order-in food that almost everyone is a fan of – making this a win-win option for your next breakfast shindig. Fresh Fruit Spread: Not only does fresh fruit go along with a Paleo lifestyle, it also has awesome health benefits as well! Eating more fruit helps you combat high blood pressure, increase your daily fiber intake and help prevent infections in disease because of the high vitamin C content. The flavonoids in berries help keep you mentally fit, feel fuller longer and are believed to help prevent diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Plus, fruit is a great substitute for other sweets at your meeting like donuts and pastries. Dairy Free Smoothies: For those who might have egg allergies, offering a yummy fruit smoothie bar is an easy breakfast alternative to providing a healthy breakfast that packs a Paleo punch and an option that your staff is sure to love. You could even set up a build-your-own smoothie bar with several different fruit options for people to come up with their own combos! Just make sure the smoothies are dairy free, as dairy is a big no-no with the Paleo diet. Ordering a Paleo spread for your next breakfast meeting can help switch things up from the everyday coffee and donuts to something that packs brain-boosting energy and a protein punch at the start of the day. By thinking creatively, it’s easy to include some traditional breakfast favorites with a Paleo twist that everyone is sure to love! Waiter.com’s office delivery and catering service can help you set up a great breakfast for your next morning office meeting.

Back away from the pop-tarts and donuts. Starting the work day off with a healthy office breakfast available to your staff can do many things – it can add to the health and well-being of your employees and let them know that they are appreciated. But providing a nutritious breakfast every day or even just during morning meetings can also help de-stress a busy morning, with breakfast being one less thing that staffers need to worry about before heading into work. A nutritious start to the day can help increase metabolism and assist with keeping employees in a good mood throughout the morning. It’s easy to get crabby when you’re is hungry, but if staff have had a tasty and filling breakfast, they’re more inclined to stay bright and optimistic throughout the day. If you provide your employees with a good start with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and lean proteins, your star team will feel great and productive all morning long!

Start thinking about starting the day off with some delicious out-of-the-box options with our handy guide below: Whole Grains Swap white flour bagels for the healthier whole wheat variety. Offer whole wheat toast and pastries, or even set up an oatmeal bar! This comforting breakfast stand-by is often less than 200 calories for a full serving, and loaded with dietary fiber, protein, and omega-6 fatty acids. Add dried or fresh fruits, nuts, or even some low-fat yogurt to the top for a little extra added flavor. Or, for a unique spin on porridge, offer a savory Chinese-inspired congee — a thin rice dish that is often fortified with ginger, lean chicken, and vegetables. A brown rice variety has an extra nutritional punch. Low-fat Dairy Make sure to supply fat-free and low-fat milk options for multigrain cereals. Plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit is also a great option instead of the sugar-packed, fruit-on-the-bottom varieties. Low-fat cottage cheese is another great healthy way to start off your breakfast meetings! Fruits & Vegetables A plate of fresh fruits and vegetables can add needed color (remember, we eat with our eyes first) and nutrition to sleepy mornings. Fruit slices can be added to cottage cheese, whole grain cereals, or even toasted whole wheat bagels. Likewise, steamed and fresh vegetables can act as a healthy bagel topping, or be mixed into some scrambled eggs for some color, vitamins, and extra pop! And sliced heart-healthy avocado is a nutritional powerhouse and great on top of whole wheat toast or multi-grain pita bread. Lean Protein Healthy office breakfasts can certainly be all about swapping bad choices for good ones, but it can also include introducing brand new options like lean meats (think turkey bacon or lox), and hard boiled eggs to your office continental breakfast spread. Or, instead of the traditional cream cheese for that whole wheat bagel, provide some peanut butter, other nut butters, or even garbanzo bean hummus for fiber, protein, and all-around super food benefits. A Little Fat & Sugar Can Go a Long Way And don’t forget, a little indulgence is okay. Along with your office’s oatmeal bar, some honey, cream, or maple syrup is not necessarily a bad choice. Like all things, moderation is key. And when people don’t feel deprived, they are less tempted to binge later in the afternoon with a bag of chips, a sugar-heavy soda, or a candy bar. Let Waiter.com help your busy office with food delivery and catering options for a healthy morning meal. We can help you plan delicious and nutritious breakfast foods for meetings, special events, or a daily way to say thank you to your hard-working employees!

Donuts are great, whether they’re dusted with powdery sugar, bursting with jelly, or simply shining with a humble glaze. Nobody can argue that donuts aren’t delicious. But sometimes, a box of donuts on the conference table— even delicious, warm, fresh-from-the-donut-shop donuts— won’t cut it. For an important client, a particular boss, or just a special occasion, you need some amazing breakfast meeting food ideas… and that’s where viennoiserie comes in.

Nobody makes magic out of flour, water, and yeast like the French– and viennoiserie is a term reserved for a special category of baked goods that we boorish Americans very simply call “pastries.” Viennoiserie are baked from two kinds of dough: pate viennoise (sweetened, yeast-leavened dough) or pate feuilletee (puff pastry). Croissants are viennoiserie. Brioche is viennoiserie. In fact, most of the buttery, intricately layered, simultaneously airy and rich French treats that are considered “breakfast” pastries are viennoiserie… and nothing will up your breakfast game at the next big meeting like a beautiful array of these mouthwatering treats.

Hungry yet? Get ready. Because we’ve rounded up some truly sublime examples of viennoiserie to inspire your next early-morning catering order!

1) Croissant

You have to start with the classic. From simple plain croissants to those studded with savory ham and melty Gruyere, you can’t go wrong with the beautifully buttery croissants.

2) Kouign Amann

Described by a New York Times writer as “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe,” kougin amman (pronounced like “queen ah-MON”) are certainly decadent. Sheets of leavened dough with sugar and butter layered in between, are folded and baked– resulting in a crispy, caramelized-sugar exterior with a soft, sweet interior. The end result is a cross between a croissant and brioche.

3) Chausson aux Pommes

Flaky dough is filled with a velvety, and not-too-sweet apple compote to create the most-sophisticated apple turnover you’ve ever eaten.

4) Canele

These treats are almost as lovely to look at as they are to eat. Canele have a distinct fluted shape thanks to the special copper tins they’re baked in, which are traditionally coated in beeswax. The resulting pastry has a browned, crispy crust containing a moist, custard-like interior flavored with rum and vanilla.

5) Gibassier

These Provencal treats offer a more unusual flavor profile: they are baked with olive oil, orange-blossom water, and anise seed, then dusted with sugar at the very end. A little harder to find in America than croissants– but worth looking out for!

6) Pain aux Raisins

Not as cloyingly sweet as danish, pain aux raisins are snail-shaped pastries made from buttery dough wrapped around raisins (occasionally plumped up by soaking in rum), with just a hint of custard, and glazed to perfection after baking.

7) Pain au Chocolat

Can’t get by without a little chocolate on the breakfast table? Go for pain au chocolat– essentially a rounder type of croissant with a stick or two of rich, dark chocolate in the middle.

Ready to take your next catered corporate breakfast meeting to the next level? Contact the company catering experts at Waiter.com– with abundant menus, online ordering, and prompt delivery, we make it easy to provide impressive, delectable fare– like viennoiserie– at any time of day!

Early breakfast meetings (catered or not) are not a favorite of most employees. Getting less sleep, disrupting a normal routine, perhaps drinking too much coffee – not exactly the ideal way to start a productive day. But, sometimes they’re unavoidable: a decision has to be made, a deadline needs to be met, and first thing in the morning is the only time to get it done (usually, before the clients come in!).

And that’s where the actual breakfast part of the equation becomes crucial. If you’re asking your team to come in early, a little thought and creativity in the menu planning can go a long way. Make it worth their while to get out of bed an hour earlier: replace that boring plate of blueberry muffins or the box of sugary donuts (which are like little ticking time bombs of blood sugar crashes) with one of these amazing, global-inspired dishes. Having an interesting breakfast to look forward to makes it a little easier to get out of bed — and lets your employees know you appreciate their extra efforts!

Kaya toast 

Restaurant industry insiders predict that Asian-inspired breakfast dishes are one of the next big food trends — and the Singaporean breakfast staple, kaya toast, is just one delicious example. Never heard of kaya toast? It’s essentially toast slathered with kaya jam, a concoction of coconut, sugar, and eggs flavored with pandan, a fragrant leaf that adds a nutty note to the jam. Kaya toast is often served with soft-boiled eggs, so you’ll even get a little protein along with the sticky-sweet kaya jam.

Migas

If you think huevos rancheros are the only Mexican contribution to the most important meal of the day, then you really need to serve migas at your next breakfast meeting. There are a few different versions throughout the Spanish-speaking world, but we’re most fond of the Tex-Mex take on migas: eggs scrambled up with scraps of corn tortillas, onions, spicy green chiles, and juicy tomatoes. Oh, and cheese, of course, and usually topped with salsa or paired with refried beans. 

Pierogi

There are almost as many ways to spell pierogi as there are to eat them! These stuffed, pan-fried dumplings are a classic dish in Poland, and in parts of the U.S. rich in Polish heritage, like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Potatoes, cheese, and caramelized onions are the standard pierogi fillings, but you could add scrambled eggs and bacon for more familiar breakfast flavor — or go for a sweet option with berries and powdered sugar. Really, it’s hard to go wrong with pierogi – but if you choose savory, make sure there’s a dollop of sour cream on top!

Kimchi omelette

Another Asian-inspired import, this twist on a breakfast classic takes a page from Korean cuisine: kimchi. The fermented cabbage, used as a condiment in many Korean dishes, is added to an otherwise typical omelet. Along with the kimchi comes a savory kick of flavor and a little crunch that you don’t usually find at the breakfast table without dousing your meal in hot sauce.

Frühstück

OK, frühstück is actually just the German word for breakfast, but there’s not really a better name for the classic spread: German breads and rolls served with honey and jam, with a few hunks of cheese and sliced cold meats alongside. A German breakfast may not be a lavish one, but it’s an unusual alternative to a traditional continental-style breakfast — and one that will still satisfy picky eaters who might raise an eyebrow at eating kimchi for breakfast!  

These dishes may be a little harder to find than the typical bagels and donuts, but it’s well worth putting a little extra planning into your morning menus! Serving unexpected dishes makes breakfast meetings more of a treat and less of a chore — so start browsing the menus from Waiter.com to find the perfect fare for your next early morning engagement!

Having a box of donuts as an office breakfast is not a groundbreaking idea. But today is National Donut Day, which always falls on the first Friday and June. That means today is the perfect day to serve up the sugary treats to your employees… but not for the gimmicky reason you might think!

Unlike many of our other pointless “National Fill-in-the-Blank Days,” National Donut Day actually has a fantastic story behind it, and a rich history of patriotism and charity. The annual celebration of donuts dates back nearly a century to the days of World War I, when Salvation Army officers began serving donuts and coffee to soldiers in the trenches across the battlefields of France.

Relatively simple to make with limited supplies (like sugar, lard, and flour), the donuts weren’t just about keeping soldiers fed: they were a warm reminder of the comforts of home. And the Salvation Army began celebrating National Donut Day as a way to commemorate the service of the “donut lassies” — the female volunteers who fried the donuts (sometimes in soldiers’ helmets!) and distributed them among the soldiers, along with providing more practical assistance like writing letters, mending clothes, and cooking meals.

The first National Donut Day was staged in Chicago in 1938, and was also intended to be a fundraiser during the dark days of the Depression for the non-profit organization. Today, especially in Chicago, many donut shops will give out free donuts — but encourage donations for the Salvation Army.

So what, exactly, do donut-delivering volunteers and soldiers in the trenches have to do with celebrating National Donut Day in the office? For one, it’s an admirable way to honor the history and tradition of patriotic service. But secondly, because even though the office is a far cry from the battlefield, offering donuts to your employees can have a similar effect: a little cheer brightens up what might otherwise be a dreary morning, and a much-needed message of gratitude and appreciation is delivered.

And research shows that appreciation goes a very long way in the workplace. A survey conducted last year suggested that employees will work harder and be more faithful to their employer when they feel appreciated. While raises or bonuses were the most preferred means of showing appreciation, food was next in line — about half of all employees surveyed reported that they would love to receive unexpected treats (like lunches, snacks, or catered office breakfast delivery) from their boss.

So follow in the example of the donut lassies, who knew that a simple treat could communicate a meaningful message of appreciation and warmth. One hundred years later, we’re still celebrating their service… and sharing appreciation with your staff could have a lasting impact on the happiness and productivity of your company’s culture. Because if you celebrate National Donut Day in the office, you’re not really celebrating donuts — you’re celebrating your employees.

Whether you’re seeking a box of sugary treats or want to provide a more well-rounded office breakfast for your team, Waiter.com will provide all the backup you need. Abundant menus, easy online ordering, and prompt delivery make it simpler than ever to surprise your staff with a delicious token of your appreciation!

Are you on the lookout for ways to celebrate your employees? Promote wellness in the workplace? Make your office a greener, more earth-friendly place? Then heads up: Friday is National Bike to Work Day, the culmination of a monthlong effort to promote two-wheeled commutes, and the perfect occasion for your next employee appreciation breakfast!

The entire month of May is National Bike Month, this week (May 12-16) is National Bike to Work Week, and Friday is National Bike to Work Day. Not only does biking cut back on harmful emissions and help the environment, but it’s a wonderful way to create a culture of wellness in the workplace and promote biking as a positive physical activity that can help employees stay healthy (while boosting productivity and reducing health care costs). 

If your office is in an urban, bike-friendly community, there’s no reason not to join the thousands of Americans who are participating in this year’s big event — and we have some tips on how to make sure your company’s Bike to Work Day celebration is the best in town!

1) Start building buzz now! The League of American Bicyclists has plenty of printable posters and other marketing materials you can hang in your break room or share on social media… and the promise of a post-ride office breakfast may help motivate last-minute participants who aren’t already used to biking.

2) Make it a competition: which department or team in the office can recruit the most cyclists? The winning team members all get a bike-friendly prize; company-branded water bottles make an excellent reward.

3) Set aside bike parking spaces for the day (or the week!) if you don’t have them already. According to the incredibly bike-friendly City of Portland, about ten bicycles will fit in one car parking spot, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to reserve a few in your building’s parking lot or garage for National Bike to Work Day.

4) Relax the office dress code for the day if that might be an obstacle for some would-be participants.

5) If you don’t have shower facilities in your building, supply some face wash, fresh mini-deodorants, and towels in the bathrooms for hard-pedaling employees to freshen up once they arrive at the office.

6) Plan a truly awesome catered office breakfast delivery to welcome your hungry cyclists to the office! In an effort to incorporate employee wellness, skip the sugary doughnuts and empty-calorie bagels for healthier breakfast fare. Get fancy with brunch-style dishes, like egg white omelets and vegetable frittatas, or plan a Continental-style spread with hardboiled eggs, fresh fruit, whole grain toast with almond butter, and smoked salmon.

7) Find a way for non-cyclists to participate, too. Some employees may not have bikes, or be physically unable to ride, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a part of a wellness-focused celebration. Ask non-cyclists to set their own individual fitness goals, like walking during their lunch breaks, or giving up sugary sodas and treats for the day.

If your workplace is already full of cycling fanatics, National Bike to Work Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your collective good habits… and if it’s not, then it’s even more important to take the opportunity to promote wellness and environmental responsibility! Regardless, this event is a chance to have fun, be healthy, and bond as a team over a killer office breakfast — which is easy to pull off, even at the last minute, thanks to online ordering and prompt delivery from Waiter.com!

When you understand the importance of employee appreciation — one of the top reasons why people stay satisfied and engaged at their jobs — chances are you make a habit of saying thank you. The only downside to having a culture that embraces appreciation is that it can be easy for the message itself to become part of the routine. When you provide bagels every Monday as a special thank-you, the “special” part is quickly lost. If you order the same Chinese take-out on Wednesdays for a mid-week treat, the “treat” can become an expectation.

Business lunches, catered office lunches, even lunch-and-learns: all are wonderful, but to really set a meal apart as a special celebration of employees’ contributions, think outside the typical workweek… and host an office brunch.

Yes, brunch. Email your employees in advance and tell them to clear an hour in the middle of the morning (10:30 is usually ideal, so everyone has time to handle urgent emails beforehand) on the scheduled day, and not to eat a big breakfast, because there’s a truly special, out-of-the-ordinary treat in store.

Need more convincing? Here are the four specific reasons why brunch should replace lunch as your employee appreciation meal:

1) Brunch is relaxing.

Just think of the word “brunch”. It conjures up images of chatting with friends, lingering a little bit over a meal, and happy, lazy weekends. Maybe a good Sunday newspaper or crossword puzzle if you like to dine solo. It just feels a little special and peaceful. Now, think how that vibe can translate to the office: set up the break room with flowers on the tables, pretty cloth napkins at each place setting, and pitchers of fresh-squeezed juices. Right away, the message is sent. This is no ordinary day at the office. This isn’t another one of those rushed, harried, work-focused business lunches. This is brunch. Relax, savor the food, enjoy the company… and feel appreciated.

2) Brunch is cheap.

Not to be tacky, but it’s true. Brunch is generally more affordable to serve a group than a catered lunch. A nice tray of pastries, some whole fruit, and a few egg dishes, like frittatas or quiches, will provide a tasteful yet not extravagant spread. Of course, you can add in extras like yogurt, lox, and even mimosas, but you don’t need to spend a lot to provide a lovely meal.

3) Brunch can be quite healthy.

Serving a big, heavy meal in the middle of the morning is pretty much a guarantee that the office will be sluggish and sleepy the rest of the day. But, providing plenty of healthy options is easy at brunch: think egg-white omelets, vegetable-stuffed frittatas, whole wheat toast, oatmeal, or fruit-and-yogurt parfaits. Brunch is naturally suited to fiber-rich whole grains, healthy proteins, and wholesome fresh fruit, all of which will provide the long-lasting energy release needed for a truly productive day.

4) Brunch is unexpected.

This is the most important piece of the puzzle: brunch isn’t a normal occurrence in the office. Lunch, on the other hand, most definitely is part of the routine. A lot of employees participate in business lunches or even catered meetings on a regular basis, and you may even have a habit of pizza deliveries on Fridays or the occasional group takeout order during a busy period. Brunch, though, is different. Set an hour aside in everyone’s schedule for a mid-morning meal, and you’ve already made an impact on the daily routine. And when that meal is focused on socializing and bonding, or by deliberately communicating appreciation by handing out an award or verbal recognition, the impact on morale and teamwork will be that much more meaningful.

For a delicious brunch that will set your office buzzing with positivity and good vibes, contact the food delivery experts at Waiter.com! With easy online ordering, Waiter.com makes planning your menu a relaxing and stress-free experience – just like the brunch itself will be!

The typical catered office breakfast — a box of donuts in the break room — isn’t doing employees or employers any favors. The fat and sugar will undermine any employee efforts at healthy eating and weight loss, along with causing a spike-and-crash blood sugar effect that will drain energy levels and productivity. If the donuts are there as a celebration or thank you gesture, guess what? Nothing says “I didn’t put much thought into this” like a box of donuts and a pile of napkins.

Nothing against donuts — they’re delicious. But there are so many other better options for office breakfasts! Whether the goal is to communicate a message (be it “Job well done” or even “Happy birthday!”), improve employee health, or boost office productivity, ditch the donuts and choose a healthier, more exciting alternative.

If you’re aiming to incorporate an office breakfast as part of an employee wellness plan, heed the advice of nutritionists and serve a breakfast that packs a combined punch of protein and good carbs (the complex, slower-to-digest kind found in whole grains, rather than the simple, blood-sugar-spiking kind of carbs in, well, donuts). Healthy breakfasts have the added bonus for employers of boosting productivity and focus throughout the day. And healthy breakfasts don’t have to be as boring as a bowl of oatmeal; there are plenty of smart breakfast foods that will still deliver the message of appreciation you’re looking to send. 

With those goals in mind, here are our nine best foods to serve for office breakfasts…

At a continental-style spread:

Greek yogurt is full of protein and calcium. Provide smart toppings like brain-boosting blueberries and heart-healthy nuts for a more nutritious, less sugary alternative to flavored yogurts.

Serve whole-wheat bagels with almond butter instead of cream cheese to provide healthy fats and protein along with a dose of whole grains. Better yet, splurge on cured salmon: the omega-3 fatty acids in salmon have been linked to improved focus.

During heartier sit-down meals:

Don’t skimp on the yolks and serve whole eggs. While egg white omelets may be lower in calories and cholesterol, you’ll be missing out on the choline found in the yolks: this vitamin- group nutrient is associated with a better memory.

Up the unexpected-entree ante with breakfast tacos. A staple from Austin, Texas (and other Southwestern cities), breakfast tacos are available at many Mexican restaurants. Opt for corn tortillas, scrambled eggs, black beans, peppers, onions, and top with avocado and salsa for a filling, veggie-packed breakfast. Fiber from the beans, healthy fats from the avocado, and protein from the eggs: done right, breakfast tacos provide an unbeatable combination with plenty of flavor!

Another unconventional morning meal that’s seen a recent boost in popularity? Freshly-made breakfast pizza. Think of a crust without tomato sauce but covered in vegetables, cheese, eggs, and a sprinkling of breakfast-friendly meats like ham or bacon. Order up a whole-wheat crust and top with a dark leafy green like kale or arugula for an extra boost of B-vitamins and folic acid, which promote memory and focus.

Think outside the donut box with catering and delivery services from Waiter.com! Online ordering, prompt delivery, and our recurring Virtual Cafeteria Service make it easy to provide a healthy, wholesome, exciting breakfast to your hard-working staff.

Looking for a double-whammy strategy to increase productivity and job satisfaction in your office? Consider implementing a casual, voluntary office breakfast once a week. It’s a relatively small investment with a potentially huge payoff — especially when you pay close attention to the scientific research and our resulting office breakfast ideas.

Employees who socialize together in the workplace tend to build stronger bonds. Stronger social bonds usually lead to higher job satisfaction, and we all know that job satisfaction means lower turnover. As Dr. Ben Waber, president of a workplace consulting firm, told the New York Times, “In general when we look at what makes people happy and effective at work, it’s being able to spend time with a close group of people. You need to structure work in such a way that people have those opportunities.”

So providing a scheduled hour or so for coworkers to spend time together within the workplace is a no-brainer… right?

Not exactly. One recent study showed that personal choice had a greater impact on the restorative nature of breaks at work than what the worker actually did. For instance, if a worker chose to work through lunch, they felt more relaxed at the end of the day than if they were asked to do so by a supervisor… or even if they were pressured into a social outing. Autonomy — choosing how to spend breaks — is key to employee morale.

That’s where a casual environment is key. Setting aside time once a week to let employees socialize over food can do wonders for morale and job satisfaction, but not if one of those employees feels forced to chit-chat while their growing inbox tally means they’ll be staying late into the evening. Make it clear that an office breakfast is voluntary, or you run the risk of undermining the potential benefits. We also suggest scheduling your breakfast for Friday — it’s usually the least productive day of the week already.

So why breakfast? Simply put, you’ll get the biggest biological bang for your buck. There’s a reason we can all parrot that breakfast is the most important meal of the day — because it is.

Several studies over the years have shown that eating breakfast makes people more focused and attentive on the job. For instance, one British study showed that students who ate breakfast performed better on memory and concentration tasks. The impact was lessened, however, when that breakfast was a sugary one; it was highest when it was a whole-grain cereal.

Eating breakfasts that are full of sugar and highly processed carbohydrates can lead to a spike and subsequent crash of blood sugar levels, which means energy levels can plummet as well. In the office, there may be no faster way to undermine productivity than to feed everyone sugary donuts or French toast first thing in the morning. Foods that are rich in protein and fiber, however, will provide a long-lasting energy source; choose a menu that includes items like eggs, fruit, nuts, whole grain cereals, and oatmeal. Waiter.com‘s easy online ordering and company group food ordering services will make it easy to supply a wholesome breakfast for the entire office.

A healthy meal to start the day, coupled with the boosted happiness of social bonding, and underscored by being granted the freedom to choose willingly whether to participate? Now that’s a recipe for a successful workplace!