Whether you are planning an office holiday event, have out-of-town colleagues flying in, or want to spruce up a routine company meeting (and everything in between), business catering services are a crucial yet often overlooked asset for businesses.
Let us elaborate on how business event catering can enrich your company culture, share helpful tips to ensure your next business event is a smashing success, and give you a peek at the many options we offer here at Catered by Design — your premium Chicago caterer.
Benefits of Corporate Catering
Providing a diverse set of meals and dining opportunities centers convenience and fun in a corporate setting, staying in line with the needs of business environments without sacrificing quality or limiting options. This way your staff can engage with enjoyable ways to mingle, feel like a valued member of the team, and indulge in delicious and conscientious meals, improving your overall company culture.
Boosting Productivity and Enriching Community
Providing meals such as boxed lunches on a routine day helps employees recharge without leaving the workplace. Corporate catering minimizes disruptions during the workday and ensures your staff has access to healthy and accommodating options, increasing their productivity and energy throughout the day.
Chipotle Chicken Sandwich
Corporate catering also allows employees to connect and engage with one another through shared dining such as social cocktail hours, team building buffets, or celebrating events and holidays like the Super Bowl or St. Patrick’s Day. It offers a distinct communal experience, creating bonds and starting conversations outside the context of their daily work.
Mini BBQ Meatball
Affirming Company Image and Reputation
Using corporate catering services reinforces your company’s values, sending a clear message that a commitment to the health and wellbeing of employees, colleagues, and guests is a top priority.
Whether you are catering to your core staff or planning a larger event for clients and colleagues alike, utilizing corporate catering makes your team feel valued and supported. Everyone gets to enjoy a nourishing array of food and drinks, and making the effort highlights your company’s appreciation of its staff, clients, and visitors, which make a difference.
In addition to being a reliable corporate Chicago caterer, you can rest assured that your company is standing behind eco-conscious business practices by choosing Catered by Design. We put the environment first and proudly by practicing sustainable catering from our ingredients and packaging to our office operations and staff education as rated by the Green Restaurant Association.
A Plethora of Options and Accommodating Dietary Needs
In addition to providing a multitude of options for all sorts of palates, catering services for businesses are also designed with different dietary needs in mind. Any given event or meeting will likely require some food-related accommodations, and catering services are specially equipped with this in mind.
Catered By Design includes vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free options to keep everyone happy and nourished. For heavily restrictive allergies, companies can work directly with our sales specialists for the best substitutions and solutions.
Types of Corporate Catering Services and Uses
Catered by Design offers a range of packages for delivery, delivery with staff, and full-service events, allowing you to find the perfect option for any given business event.
Delivery and Delivery with Staff for Company Event Catering
Corporate delivery service catering works well for smaller events, perhaps limited to a company’s direct staff, standard meetings in the midst of the workweek, or more casual company events outside the office like a happy hour. From sweet and savory breakfast options, classic lunch fares, catered brunch options, snacks and hors d’oeuvres, to an expansive array of delectable entrees and catered desserts to keep those sweet tooths satiated, Catered by Design is a prime example of Chicago catering delivery. Rest assured that our Delivery Menu has every base covered.
An in-office meeting is a great opportunity to take advantage of corporate catering delivery services. For example, our full boxed meals and protein bowls are an easy solution. Whether you’re looking to treat your staff to an impromptu meal or have a full-day meeting on the calendar, individual boxed options keep it simple. And don’t forget the meeting breaks! We can also provide a variety of grab and go options along with your main meal with our individual snack packs.
Platters are best suited for board meetings, smaller conferences, informal client meetings, trainings, workshops, or recurring employee happy hours. From our traditional Antipasto platter to our elevated Greek Charcuterie Board, there is a platter for everyone and many platters come in different sizes, so you can properly plan your portions.
Photo 1: Antipasto Platter, Photo 2: Greek Charcuterie Platter
Corporate catering is also a great choice if you are planning a wider company get-together like a company picnic. This can be a great opportunity for employees, clients, visitors, and their guests to gather in a more casual, social setting. Catered by Design has a dedicated Picnic Menu for this very purpose. Whether you’re planning a traditional barbecue or want to indulge in exciting options such as Mexican street food, Southern comfort, Italian-style pastas and salads, or summertime snacks like hot soft pretzels and snow cones, Catered by Design can create a menu to your exact specifications.
Full-Service Business Event Catering
When planning more elevated company events, it’s important to ensure your food and beverage options rise to the occasion. For formal events and larger celebrations such as a gala or awards night, full-service catering is the way to go and includes food preparation, service staff, rentals, and cleanup.
Catered by Design is up to any task with our Special Event Catering Menu, featuring a wide array of food options to suit every taste such as passed hors d’oeuvres, an elegant plated three-course meal, including decadent catered desserts. We’ll also take care of the setup and breakdown of the event and offer rentals of china, glassware, linens, and more.
For a large social gathering like a networking event, demanding that elevated experience without the formal sit-down affair, interactive options like the Grazing & Action Stations Menu keep every appetite appeased as your guests make their rounds to unique catering stations.
If you’re treating clients or visiting colleagues to a formal happy hour or want to wow employees with stellar holiday party catering, our Cocktail Reception Menu comes with a variety of bar services along with delicious passed and stationary hors d’oeuvres options.
Tamara Jaros | Website
Whatever the case, Catered by Design provides bar services via the Premium, Prestige, and Platinum Beverage Catering menus to keep the good times rolling for any catered event. Our beverage team can help craft up a special signature cocktail that relates to your company’s brand and add that extra bit of flair. Read more about how signature cocktails can elevate your event in our blog here.
When it comes to planning food and drink for your company’s calendar of events and parties, being prepared with a reliable corporate event caterer keeps obstacles to a minimum, and delicious food always on the way.
No matter what style of service suits your needs, our seasoned professionals can provide guidance in crafting an unforgettable experience. One example is an event where a client from out of town wanted an event based on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Our team created a custom menu based on the movie to give your client a uniquely Chicago experience.
Contact us with your event details, and we’ll reach out to start the creative process. We look forward to working with you to create a unique catering experience for your company — no matter the occasion!
