The lights are flickering. Sinister music is emerging from an office. And is that a fog machine in the company kitchen?
Yes, it’s almost autumn, and that means Halloween is right around the corner.

Plenty of workplaces are already gearing up to welcome it, including ours. An informal poll of the Waiter offices found that people like:

• Consuming mass quantities of sugary goodness without judgment, while
• Dressing up like superheroes/cowboys/giant squids/David S. Pumpkins

The holiday itself can bring some levity to every kind of office. Costume contests, themed food, and yes, a fog machine can work wonders for morale (or at least break up an otherwise ordinary day).

But how do you do it? What can you feed your colleagues that’s outside the norm enough to be special, but won’t take hours or days to put together? Can you just slap skull stickers on everything and call it a day?

(You can, but that’s only half the fun.)

The Waiter team is filled (perhaps unsurprisingly) with big fans of food. We’re also big fans of food that doesn’t take a lot of effort and is fairly easy to clean up.
We kept those three qualifications in mind while making this list of tasty, easy-to-make, Halloween office party food ideas that you can create yourself or offer up to the office at large for a potluck-style adventure.

When it comes to planning conferences and catered lunches, the question of how much food to order can be a vexing one to busy administrative assistants who suddenly find “event planner” added to their job descriptions. It’s no wonder that good old box lunches are a go-to solution: all the guesswork is removed from the equation!

For more formal occasions or bigger office parties, however, sometimes it’s necessary to plan a more elaborate buffet or family-style food service without individual portions neatly included. For these occasions, consider these tips on how to plan portion sizes for office events:

Appetizers: If you’re planning an after-hours cocktail party for clients or coworkers, appetizers or hors d’oeuvres may be all you need. Generally, plan on serving five to six varieties, with enough for each person to eat one of each (if you’re including popular items like shrimp cocktail or shellfish, plan for more, as they will go quickly!). If your cocktail party is substituting as dinner, though, then you’ll need 10-15 per person. And keep in mind that guests will likely eat more appetizers that are served buffet-style than those brought around on trays by servers.

Lunch: For a buffet-style lunch at the office, plan on serving six to eight ounces of protein per guest (or two 4-ounce portions if you’re offering fish and chicken, for instance). Include about 1.5 ounces of rice or grains and four ounces of vegetables per guest. For green salads, plan on about an ounce per person. Desserts can be easily pre-portioned: slice brownies in half and serve moderately-sized cookies, and plan on each guest indulging in 1.5 treats. Nine-inch pies or cakes usually serve six people.

Breakfast: For catered office breakfast meetings with pastries and fresh fruit, plan on one pastry and one piece of whole fruit per person; or, serve a half-cup of mixed fruit like berries (pre-portion fruit into small plastic cups if your budget is tight!). Don’t skimp on the coffee, however, or plan to supply enough ice water for each person to have a glass. There should be plenty of coffee for each attendee to have two cups.

Family-style “takeout buffet”: For lunch and learns or other working meetings, ordering a large quantity of takeout to be delivered from a favorite restaurant is a nice alternative to formal catering. Depending on the restaurant’s portion sizes, you can also easily plan on ordering one meal per person, along with one appetizer for every three to four guests to share. This is a simple way to plan a themed menu, like Indian cuisine or Mexican, with little fuss!

Pizza parties: Most pizza planners allocate three slices per person, but you can get away with underestimating a little if you also serve salad or other appetizers.

No matter what the occasion, keep in mind the appetites of your coworkers or clients. If you’re feeding a lumberjack convention, order more food; if you’re in charge of menus for a tech start-up’s all-night hackathon, increase the snack food and energy drinks. No two events are alike, but over time, you’ll learn how to order successfully — even if your audience includes colleagues on restrictive diets or even picky eaters. And the office party experts at Waiter.com are here to help! Between online ordering, Virtual Cafeteria Service, and quick delivery, your job just got a lot easier.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Monday this year, which makes it a great opportunity to show your employees how much you value them with a festive holiday party. A St. Patrick’s Day celebration is the perfect way to boost morale, foster team spirit, and show employee appreciation. Plus, with delivery and catering options provided by Waiter.com, you can easily create a memorable and delicious event that the whole office will love. 

Employee appreciation is a key factor in job satisfaction and workplace morale. By hosting a St. Patrick’s Day office party, you can celebrate the holiday while showing your team they’re valued members of a fun and supportive workplace. In this blog, we’ll explore the different food, activities, and decoration options for hosting a St. Patrick’s Day employee appreciation celebration.

10 St. Patrick’s Day Office Food Ideas

When it comes to planning an office party there may be no aspect as crucial as the food. You want to serve delicious dishes that are on the theme of the holiday. Here are some St. Patrick’s Day office food ideas to impress your team: 

1. Irish Soda Bread with Spinach Artichoke Dip: A classic St. Patrick’s Day bread that pairs perfectly with the green spinach artichoke dip. While the fruit-studded version of soda bread is more American than Irish, both types are crowd-pleasers. This appetizer is easy to serve and eat in between meetings. 
2. Corned Beef and Cabbage: This St. Patrick’s Day staple was popularized by Irish immigrants in New York. Its hearty hunks of salty corned beef, piles of stewed cabbage, and root vegetables are just what the doctor ordered after a weekend of celebrating. This dish is perfect for a Monday celebration and will satisfy even the hungriest employees.
3. Irish Stew: This classic comfort food is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Traditionally the dish is made with lamb or mutton, potatoes, carrots, onions, and herbs. It’s filling and warm for those cold office days in March. 
4. Shepherd’s Pie: Consider serving shepherd’s pie for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. This comforting and filling option can easily be transformed into a vegetarian-friendly meal with faux meat crumbles or extra veggie filling. Either way, this dish is a hearty and delicious way to celebrate the holiday. 
5. Colcannon: Like many Irish dishes, Colcannon is made with potatoes and cabbage. It’s simple, flavorful, and vegetarian-friendly. This earthy side dish will go well with any of the main dishes mentioned in this list.
6. Boxty: This traditional Irish potato pancake can be served as a main course or a side dish. Boxty is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and is made from grated potatoes, flour, and buttermilk. It can be served plain or filled with savory ingredients like smoked salmon, bacon, or cheese. 
7. Dublin Coddle: This comforting dish originated in Dublin and is made with layers of sausages, bacon, potatoes, and onions all simmered together. This one-pot meal is perfect for catering a large office event like a holiday party and will satisfy the hungriest office. 
8. Beer Cheese Soup: Rich Irish cheddar and a hearty splash of a pale ale pair deliciously in this creamy soup. Serve alone or with fresh bread to soak up the flavor of the soup. 
9. Barmbrack: A traditional Irish sweet bread filled with dried fruits. It’s often served toasted with butter and paired with tea or coffee. Barmbrack could be a good mid-morning office treat before the festivities truly begin later in the day.
10. Guinness Chocolate Cake: It’s not St. Patrick’s Day without a little Guinness. The velvety rich chocolate and roasted stout flavors of Guinness create a decadent dessert that your team will love.

Online catering and delivery services like Waiter.com make it easy to order everything you need for your St. Patrick’s Day party. You can choose to cater custom dishes or order from a local Irish restaurant to celebrate the holiday. Get started today. 

5 St. Patrick’s Day Activities for the Office

Once you’ve decided on the food, you’ll want to plan a few activities to make the party memorable. Here are some fun St. Patrick’s Day activities that will keep your team engaged and entertained: 

1. Trivia: Test your team’s knowledge of Irish culture, a new product feature, or fun facts about teammates. Tap one of your outgoing teammates to lead or hire an outside consultant to amp up the fun. Offer small prizes for the winners, like gift cards or St. Patrick’s Day-themed treats. 
2. Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt: Hide small themed items like gold coins or shamrocks around the office and have your team find them. Hints can related to the business or facts about the holiday. Offer prizes for the winner or winners. 
3. Photo Booth: Set up a photo booth with St. Patrick’s Day props like shamrock glasses, green boas, and leprechaun hats for the team to take silly pictures together. This will allow your team to capture memories from the day and share how much they love their job on social media. 
4. Irish Dance-Off: Watch a tutorial on traditional Irish dance with your team—or have an Irish dance teacher host a dance lesson for the office. Play traditional Irish music and see who has the best moves. This will get everyone moving and laughing in no time. 
5. Costume Contest: Encourage employees to dress up in their best St. Patrick’s Day attire. Create a judges panel and award prizes for categories like “Best Dressed” and “Most Creative.” 

Decorate for St. Patrick’s Day at the Office

Now it’s time to transform the office into a festive, green-themed wonderland. Consider a few of these options to boost office morale: 

• Encourage teammates to wear green 
• Decorate with green balloons, streamers, and tablecloths 
• Lay gold coins, leprechaun hats, rainbows, and shamrocks around the office
• Host a contest for the best-decorated workspace 

Holidays are a great opportunity to show your employees how much you appreciate them and their hard work. With the right food, activities, and decor you can create a festive office party that your team will love. If you’d rather focus on showing appreciation instead of party planning, let the office catering experts at Waiter.com do the heavy lifting. Our online ordering and prompt delivery make it easy to paint the office green on St. Patrick’s Day!

Every July 14th, residents of France — and Francophiles worldwide — celebrate Bastille Day. The anniversary of the beginning of the French revolution with the storming of the Bastille, the annual holiday has been celebrated since the late 1800s, and it’s the perfect opportunity to arrange a little workplace party or luncheon. Even if none of your employees are French themselves, any holiday presents a chance to treat your team to a special lunch, take an hour or so to socialize as a group, and continue to create the kind of fun and lively culture that will help keep your workers engaged!

And staging a French fete doesn’t have to be a complicated affair. We’ve compiled a list of delivery-friendly office meals that you can simply order from a local bistro for your team, keeping the day low-stress and deliciously low-key— although if you want to host a French-inspired waiter race, a preferred Bastille Day celebration in hundreds of cities worldwide, that’s up to you.

Nicoise salad

This quintessential Provençal salad disproves the notion that all French food is fattening. Crisp lettuce piled with olives, anchovies, tomatoes, and a garlicky olive oil dressing, for plenty of healthy unsaturated fats and protein. Some variations might also include tuna, French beans, hard-boiled eggs, and occasionally artichoke hearts, depending on the specific restaurant, chef, and what’s fresh in the kitchen. Regardless, a Nicoise salad is sure to be a refreshing and filling lunch, perfect for an office that embraces workplace wellness along with their holiday parties!

Coq au vin

Another classic dish, but much heartier and indulgent, coq au vin is also famously labor-intensive… so all the better when you can enjoy it via restaurant delivery or catering! While it sounds simple, this dish is an example of the whole being much greater than the sum of its part: chicken cooked with bacon, red wine, beef stock, butter, onions, and mushrooms. Light and healthy, no. Delicious, absolutely. 

Crepes

Opting for a French breakfast spread instead of lunch? You can’t go wrong with delicate, rolled-up crepes, whether stuffed with savory ingredients (more ham and cheese!) or sweet (Nutella and bananas, anyone?).

Ratatouille

This peasant dish is a summer favorite, making it ideal for Bastille Day office meals: vegetables like sweet bell peppers, colorful squash, earthy eggplant, juicy tomatoes, and plenty of garlic and fresh herbs are cooked slowly into an intensely flavorful yet shockingly simple stew. Best of all, ratatouille is incredibly healthy, and will provide a hefty portion of the vegetables your employees should be eating daily to stay sharp and focused… and since it’s vegetarian, it’s also perfect for Meatless Monday!

Croque monsieur

Have a few picky eaters in the office? Add croque monsieur to your menu — these indulgent sandwiches are made from simple ingredients like buttered bread, savory ham, and unbelievably melty Gruyere cheese. Even the most dubious diner won’t be able to resist!

Crusty bread, good cheese, pate

If you can’t spare a lunch hour (or the budget for a lavish spread) you can still celebrate Bastille Day by providing a few French variations of popular meeting snacks. A crusty baguette, creamy pate, and an assortment of French cheeses will create a special experience at an otherwise everyday meeting, without breaking the bank.

That’s the beauty of French food: it doesn’t have to be fussy to be delicious. And neither does your party planning need to be lavish to make a big impression on your team! With online ordering and prompt delivery from Waiter.com, it’s never been easier to provide a memorable meal (or meeting) — any day of the year.

Tacos are amazing. Burritos are wonderful. And enchiladas can be downright divine. But, there’s so much more to Mexican food than these north-of-the-border chain restaurant staples!

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner — a prime opportunity for celebratory office meals or post-work parties. And if you’re in charge of planning the affair, think of the impression your Mexican menu will make on your coworkers: a platter of tacos, chips, and salsa will be surely appreciated, but is also completely predictable. On the other hand, a table topped with less familiar dishes like pozole, elote, or mole poblano will instantly take the excitement up a notch!

And when it comes to office meals, the whole reason is to provide a festive break from the daily grind — especially on Cinco de Mayo. So here are a few ideas to get your party planning kicked into high gear:

Mole 

Rich, layered, and complex, mole is a centuries-old recipe from the Oaxaca or Pueblo regions of Mexico (it’s still up for debate). Mole sauce is cooked for hours, and combines dozens of ingredients into a truly unique sauce, with hints of chile, chocolate, and nuts. There are literally hundreds of variations of mole sauces, with mole poblano being one of the most frequently used — and often served over chicken.

Posole/pozole

This rich, thick, flavorful soup is usually made with pork, sometimes with chicken, but always with hominy. Hominy, which is what you have left after removing the hull and germ from kernels of corn, is puffy and chewy, and lends an amazing texture to this delicious, party-perfect appetizer.

Tacos al pastor

We realize you might have a revolt on your hands if you stage Mexican office meals without tacos (especially on Cinco de Mayo)… but at least kick it up a notch and go for tacos al pastor. Tender pork, spicy chiles, roasted sweet pineapple, and a sprinkling of raw onions and cilantro make for a lot more depth and flavor than your usual standard taco.

Elote

A sweet, yellow ear of corn on the cob, piping hot, and slathered in a creamy mixture of mayo, cotija cheese, garlic, and chili powder: this is elote, and the traditional Mexican street food will be the best corn you’ve ever eaten. If you want something a little less messy, go for esquites — essentially the same dish, but served in cups instead of on the cob.

Fruta con chile

Another street food staple, this is a wonderfully refreshing addition to a Cinco de Mayo spread! Long slices of tropical fruit, like watermelon, pineapple, and mango, are arranged in cups and topped with a squeeze of lime juice, a sprinkle of salt, and a dusting of a special chile powder. Sweet fruit, tart lime, hot chile — the combination of flavors will leave your tastebuds tingling!

For an unforgettable Cinco de Mayo celebration or a special employee appreciation treat any time of year, the food delivery experts at Waiter.com have the perfect menu in store! From Mexican food takeout and delivery to special catered affairs, we’ll help ensure your office meals are a festive success.

Each December, businesses small and large face the challenge of an ubiquitous tradition: the office holiday party. Although intended to boost morale and celebrate success, the lucky employees who plan these annual soirees know that combining work and play can be tricky. Especially during the busy Christmas season, many employees’ calendars are already overbooked, and expectations will run especially high to make the party a success.

Nowhere are the stakes higher than the holiday party menu. A steady supply of food and drink is crucial, and our holiday party menu tips will help you craft an exciting spread while pleasing all kinds of palates.

1. Let the Space Dictate the Food

Plan your menu around your space. Ample supply of tables and chairs? Feel free to serve up hearty plates of food that will require a fork and knife. Big, open space perfect for mingling, but nowhere to sit? Stick to finger foods, or items that are easy to eat while balancing a drink. Put yourself in the average partygoer’s shoes, and envision whether or not you would feel comfortable and professional talking to your boss while eating (for many reasons, an office party is not the proper venue for Sloppy Joes).

2. Get Creative With Global Fare

Looking to break out of the predictable cheese-and-crackers doldrums? Go global. Planning an international holiday party menu is a great way to shake up the traditional table without alienating the pickier partygoers. Instead of shrimp cocktail, serve up a sushi platter. Consider Chinese potstickers or Mediterranean tapenade-topped crostini for appetizers, and serve heartier Spanish tapas, like braised chorizo or ham and cheese croquettes, later in the evening to keep diners sated as the party rolls on.

3. Offer Alcohol in Moderation

Every office Christmas party seems to generate a legendary tale of the one coworker who dipped a little too liberally into the punch bowl. If your workplace wants to curb alcohol consumption without compromising on the festive atmosphere (or spring for an open bar), plan a menu of successive courses specifically meant for pairing with beer and wine. Serve slices of sharp cheddar with a glass of a locally-brewed IPA, or dish up a light seafood ceviche with a pink rose — all the way to chocolate cake paired with a sweet dessert wine. The liquor will flow in an orderly fashion, and all the partygoers will have something to talk about as they taste together!

4. Don’t Ignore the Vegetarians

Be truly considerate of the vegetarians — your coworkers or their significant others — who will be attending the office holiday party. A bowl of overdressed iceberg lettuce plopped down next to a beautiful glazed ham will not make any vegetarian guest feel welcome and cared for! A serving of butternut squash ravioli or eggplant Parmesan, however, feels like a real dish — not an afterthought or a collection of side items.

5. Allow for Lighter Options

The holidays can unfortunately be synonymous with weight gain, and many attendees at your party may be hoping for a few lighter options on the table. Provide a nice mix of indulgent party food and wholesome, healthy fare — think bacon-wrapped shrimp alongside beautifully roasted Brussels sprouts, or a tray of holiday cookies next to a glistening bowl of freshly cut fruit. The rule of thumb when planning your holiday party menu should be to encourage indulging — it is a celebration, after all! — but not make it unavoidable.

Holiday parties are  wonderful occasions to celebrate and show employee appreciation in the workplace, which is the speciality of the team here at Waiter.com. Whether you choose to serve a sushi buffet or a traditional sit-down holiday meal, contact us for assistance with your holiday menu planning today!

Unexpected office parties have a wealth of benefits: they can boost morale, encourage social bonding, and deliver a spontaneous message of employee appreciation. If your workplace could use a dose of fun and festivity in the waning days of winter, tomorrow marks a perfect opportunity… Fat Tuesday!

Although Fat Tuesday is traditionally associated with religious observances — a day of feasting before the forty-day fasting period of Lent, leading up to Easter — it’s become a culturally beloved day of celebration, especially in New Orleans. Embrace the spirit of Mardi Gras and invite your employees to indulge in a little feasting at the office… it may be just the jolt your workplace needs.

Naturally, a Fat Tuesday office party will be a little tamer than the celebrations on Bourbon Street, but the important thing is to emphasize the theme of a little indulgence. Consider it a day to honor guilty pleasures, but without the guilt! Just don’t forget to provide some plastic beads, glittery masks, and a fun-loving spirit to liven up the office for the day.

And, of course, the centerpiece of any workplace celebration is the food! Here a few ideas to bring a little Fat Tuesday fun into the office lunch room:

1) Start the day with doughnuts! Deep-fried dough has been an integral part of Mardi Gras celebrations since the times of the Roman Empire: a way to use up butter, sugar, and fat before the restrictive days of Lent. In New Orleans, they eat pillowy beignets; in Polish communities, jelly-filled paczki is popular . At your office, any doughnut will do!

2) For a very low-maintenance Fat Tuesday surprise, stage a mid-morning coffee break. Serve hot coffee with chicory (like they do at the famous Cafe du Monde) or classic New Orleans-style iced coffee with lots of milk. Paired with a few slices of traditional bread pudding (bourbon sauce optional), employees will know this is not a typical coffee break!

3) Serve a Cajun twist on traditional box lunches. Instead of deli classics, go for muffaletta sandwiches or shrimp po’ boys; swap out the cole slaw or pasta salad for a corn-and-sausage side dish known as corn maque choux. For dessert, include pecan pralines instead of the predictable chocolate chip cookie.

4) For a full catered meal, pull out all the Louisiana stops: red beans and rice, sausage-stuffed gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits, crawfish pie… in short, a Fat Tuesday meal fit for the king of Mardi Gras.

5) To keep it simple, invite all your employees into the office lunch room for a slice of colorful king cake. This round cake is dusted with purple, green, and gold sugars, the traditional colors of Mardi Gras. In Louisiana, many offices have a king cake on hand every day from shortly after Christmas until Fat Tuesday — as tradition goes, the person served the slice with a plastic baby hidden inside has to buy the next one.

6) To truly embrace the indulgent spirit of Fat Tuesday, stage an office happy hour at the end of the workday! Serve up New Orleans-inspired cocktails, like Sazeracs or brandy milk punches, or supply beloved Louisiana beers from Abita Brewery.  Pair the beverages with Cajun and Creole-inspired appetizers, like barbecued shrimp, crab maison, oysters Rockefeller, andouille sausage, and crawfish dip. Festive favors like beads, masks, and crowns will make this an office party to remember!

No matter how you choose to celebrate, your office will benefit by embracing the buzz and energy of Fat Tuesday! The office delivery and catering experts at Waiter.com can help you pull off a last-minute Mardi Gras soiree, and you’ll benefit from the boosted morale and office buzz until Easter.

Oh, Valentine’s Day — modern society’s most polarizing holiday. There are few other celebrations that can prompt such strong feelings of romance, affection, guilt, and resentment! Some offices may prefer to ignore the holiday altogether, either writing the idea of group celebrations off as just for school kids, or, on the other hand, being wary of triggering negative responses from colleagues who prefer horror movie marathons to candlelit dinners on Valentine’s Day.

But, the truth is, in our increasingly busy and work-focused lives, offices that skip Valentine’s Day are giving up a valuable opportunity to express appreciation for staff members — one of the most surefire ways to boost job satisfaction and employee morale. Keep the emphasis on celebrating how much you value your team rather than coworkers’ flirtations or showboating flower deliveries, and the entire office will appreciate it!

That being said, this is one day when simply bringing the team along to the corner bar for happy hour won’t cut it, as most workers will have their own evening plans to get to. So here are a few ways to throw a lighthearted office party with a simple (and HR-friendly) message for your employees: we love your work!

1) Start the celebration off right with a Valentine’s breakfast — and set the tone for a professional attitude throughout the day. To make the office breakfast a little more noteworthy, serve lox alongside bagels, bring in an assortment of beautiful French pastries rather than a box of donuts, or include a high-quality cheese plate with fresh fruit.

2) If you’re the boss in your office, consider writing a brief note of appreciation for each employee — on real paper, with a real pen. While emails and memos expressing “job well done” are wonderful, marking the holiday with a handwritten note will really make a lasting impression.

3) Avoid any romantic-meal overtones at your office party by celebrating with a heart-healthy catered lunch. Serve up energy-boosting superfoods like kale salad, whole wheat pastas, salmon, lean proteins, and plenty of fresh berries for dessert.

4) Instead of a formal meal — knowing that many employees may be going out for a big meal that evening — arrange for a Valentine’s-themed snack buffet to be delivered to the office break room. Include creamy yogurt parfaits with raspberries, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and granola studded with dark chocolate. Really, anything pink or vaguely heart-shaped will fit in here, so be creative!

5) Take the heart-health theme a step further, and bring in a masseuse to treat staff members to stress-relieving chair massages through the day; or, use Valentine’s Day as the launch date for an employee wellness initiative like a softball team or jogging club.

6) Keep it simple, but thoughtful: order in a big takeout lunch from the office’s favorite restaurant, and inscribe a brief message of appreciation on every Styrofoam lid (or use pink Post-Its for paper bags). Unexpected meals are always welcome, and the small effort of personalization will lend an air of holiday-fueled celebration to the office lunch!

When it comes to celebrating employees, Waiter.com can help you execute a lavish office party or a laid-back lunch in the break room. Share your love for your coworkers with a Valentine’s Day meal this Friday — our easy online ordering and Virtual Cafeteria Service make it a breeze!