Corporate lunches are a perfect way to impress your business partners and leads, as well as ensure an advantageous future for all events. By utilizing some of these creative ideas, a successful event can be achieved easily.
Where to Start
Appetizers are so varied that they can be the perfect beginning to a meal or they can be the whole meal itself. The term finger food applies to anything bite-sized; hard cheeses, breads, sliced meats, savoury hors d’oeurves, sandwiches, the list goes on. Exercising creativity with these selections is a surefire way to delight your esteemed associates.
Sublime Settings
Designating an appropriate venue can be critical when planning a successful business luncheon, and is possibly the most daunting aspect of your event when you stop to consider the fact that you must take into consideration your guests’ interests, your budget, the theme of your meeting, and the season in which you’re holding your lunch. In choosing your venue wisely, oftentimes the rest will just fall into place.
Not Quite Breakfast, Not Quite Lunch
A unique way to satisfy your guests is serving breakfast for lunch. Crepes, croissants, yogurt, and fruit are all delectable options for a lightweight luncheon. Should your guests or business associates be travelling from overseas, this is often a superior choice, as they may not have adjusted to your time zone yet, and might not have the stomach for a heavy meal.
Meats are Good Eats
For a hearty addition to the menu, barbecued meats can offer full flavours. Whether you opt for a more casual menu with burgers and hot dogs taking centre stage, or choose to go all out with steaks and ribs, succulent meats can be wildly popular. Even if your function will feature food stations, a deli station serving an array of mini or full sandwiches can satisfy any meat lover’s cravings.
A Toast to Great Taste
The usual hot coffees, teas, and cold pops can be tiresome and, let’s face it, cliché. A new and popular trend in beverages is iced coffee and tea. Not only are they refreshing, but they still add that extra little jolt of caffeine that people so often rely on in the early afternoon. Full juice bars also showcase a variety of flavours that are sure to appeal to the most discerning of tastes, making canned pop a thing of the past.
Hungry for Health Food
Should you know your clients or associates would appreciate a healthy menu, consider offering up a smoothie station, complete with fresh fruits, yogurt, and natural sweeteners. Another trending concept is a DIY trail mix buffet, providing granola, raisins, nuts, and other dried fruits to add to the mix. And naturally, fresh fruits are a must have for any buffet or station set up – particularly those which are in season.
Sweets and Snacks
Desserts are always a fun and welcome addition to any business luncheon, as there is a huge variety to be taken advantage of. Appeal to chocolate lovers with a cookie station, or sweet treat finger foods, such as two-bite brownies. Allow your guests to indulge in pastries or candy. You can even provide for those who might not have an overtly tooth by offering popcorn or almonds as an alternative.
In Season and Around Town
Talking to your caterers can sometimes yield inspired ideas as well. It’s their business to know what foods are in season and to connect with the best local vendors. This can be an excellent experience for travelling clients and colleagues, as showing off the best your hometown has to offer is an essential aspect of hospitality.