According to a recent survey, 84% of millennial-aged employees have experienced burnout at the workplace this year—and that’s scary.
When was the last time you looked up and checked on your hardest-working staff members? More importantly, when was the last time you went out of your way to make those exhausted, stressed-out office heroes feel appreciated?
It’s not too late to bring your weary workplace warriors back from the brink. The key to a great employee appreciation event is creative office catering. Instead of buying lunch, plan an event that gives those tired brains a break and inspires a newfound burst of productive zeal.
We’ve created this guide to share five of our favorite ways to help you transform a workday into a culinary celebration. Read on to discover how a cookie or a taco can transform your office culture.
Idea #1: Make Office Birthdays Something Special
Another month means another office birthday celebration. It probably also means sending the intern to the supermarket to pick up another boring, chemical-tasting sheet cake. While half your co-workers will take a slice out of misplaced obligation, the other half will invent a new diet on the spot, and the husk of the icing-covered behemoth will live in the staff fridge for a week before someone takes pity and pitches it in the trash.
What if office birthday celebrations inspired delight instead of dread? Consider ordering a stunning, personalized layer cake from Batch Cookie Shop. You can order a unique cake with as little as 72 hours’ notice—and we promise you won’t be stuck with leftovers.
Order a new flavor every month to keep things fresh, or consider seasonal combinations. This is one of those simple catering ideas that makes a massive difference in staff morale levels.
Idea #2: Try a Terrific Taco Tuesday
If you work in an office, you can never trust a Tuesday. This dull weekday lacks the fresh, clean-slate luster of a Monday or the hump-day elation of a Wednesday. It’s the day when your overworked employees could most use a pick-me-up, and Taco Tuesday is always the answer.
A make-your-own taco bar is the best way to perk things up. Your staff will love customizing their own plates with all the fixings. You might even bring in a local taco truck or cart and allow staff to order at the window.
Can you imagine the boost in productivity you’ll experience once your staff starts looking forward to Tuesdays? A once-a-month taco lunch has the power to transform your company culture. Imagine what you can accomplish if you include the guac!
Idea #3: Feast on a Fresh Pizza
Nobody in the office will be mad about finding a stack of heavenly-smelling pizzas on the staff room table. Even so, the “Pizza Friday” routine starts to get old after a while. Rather than calling up for delivery and ordering “the regular,” why not bring in a mobile pizza oven and give your employees the VIP pizza treatment?
Many pizzerias offer mobile pizza ovens for events, and they’re happy to set up inside or outside the office. They can whip up a range of special, wood-fired pizzas from their menu, or customize pies to order for your picky eaters. They are fresh, authentic, and less greasy than delivery, so your staff won’t be slumping on their desks as they slouch toward the weekend.
Idea #4: Mix It up With a Milk & Cookies Mixer
Anyone can whip out a company card and buy lunch for their staff. What if you could surprise your crew with an ooey-gooey decadent dessert in a range of creative, finger-licking flavors like Raspberry White Chocolate Chip or Toasted Coconut Cream? Instead of another employee appreciation lunch, organize a milk & cookies mixer and end the work day with a sweet surprise.
Place a catering order from Batch Cookie Shop and the fun will take care of itself. You can choose gourmet cookies in a half-size or full-size to suit your staff. Employees can grab a fresh cookie and enjoy it on-site, or you can send them on their way with an individually wrapped to-go treat.
This is one of our favorite office food ideas for nights when you’re working late to meet a deadline and need a pick-me-up to get you through.
Idea #5: Invite a Fleet of Food Trucks
The future is mobile. Today, you can find a local, gourmet food truck offering nearly any cuisine under the sun. Imagine stepping outside into the sunshine and enjoying Indian curry, soul food, fish and chips, or a hand-crafted smoothie bowl.
Office catering is easy when you hire a food truck (or a fleet) and offer to cover the final tab for the office. Your employees can choose what they want from a unique menu, so there’s never any guessing. Trucks can accommodate dietary restrictions, and almost always have a vegetarian option on hand.
This is one of those office catering ideas that never gets stale because you can mix up the cuisine by the week. You might even discover a new favorite local restaurant in the process!
Take Office Catering to the Next Level
Food has the power to bring people together, but nobody wants to pick at another cold hero sandwich or suffer through another supermarket sheet cake. When you think outside the box, you have the power to create meaningful social experiences for your hardest-working employees. When you make office catering a priority, you’ll curate engaging culinary experiences that help you motivate and retain your staff.
If your office has a reputation for its sweet tooth, you’ll fall in love with the offerings at Batch Cookie Shop. We can’t wait to cater your next office birthday, milk and cookies mixer, or help you add a sweet treat to your bagged lunch on conference day. Join our email list to be the first to learn about deals, promotions, and new flavors.