Office & Corporate Party Guide

Professional Party Planning

Office catering splits into two formats, and the quantities differ. A working lunch is a meal: people eat at desks or in a conference room, expect to be full, and usually have 30 to 60 minutes. Budget for a full plate per head, roughly 1 to 1.25 lbs of food per person across all dishes. An after-work party is grazing: drinks, snacks, and finger food eaten standing up over 2 to 3 hours. There people pick rather than sit down, so 8 to 12 small bites per person plus drinks is enough, closer to 0.5 to 0.75 lbs of food per head. Decide which one you are running before you order anything, because a lunch order at a party serves twice as many people as you have, and a party order at lunch leaves a room of employees still hungry at 1 p.m.

The other rule that separates office events from home gatherings is headcount. Order to a confirmed RSVP, not to the size of the invite list. Send a calendar invite or form that requires a yes or no, set the deadline 3 to 4 business days out, and order to the count of confirmed yeses plus a 10% buffer. For a recurring weekly lunch, attendance settles within a few sessions and the buffer can drop to 5%. Skipping RSVP discipline is the single biggest cause of office catering waste: an open invite to 60 people where 35 actually show means you either overpay by 70% or you guess.

Crowd-Pleasing Safe Options

1. Sandwich Platters

Sandwich and wrap platters are the default office lunch for a reason: they hold at room temperature for the length of an event, need no plates or reheating, and a catering tray feeds a known number. Most deli platters are built as halves, so plan 1.5 halves (0.75 of a whole sandwich) per person for a grazing party and 2 to 2.5 halves (1 to 1.25 whole) per person for a working lunch where it is the main dish.

• Order trays pre-cut into halves so one tray stretches across more people
• Keep at least 20 to 30% of the platter meat-free (caprese, hummus and roasted veg, egg salad)
• Label every variety with its protein and the top allergens it contains: gluten (bread), dairy (cheese), eggs (mayo), and any nuts in pesto
• Avoid wet or messy fillings (sloppy joes, pulled pork, heavy oil dressings) that fall apart at a desk
• Add a starch or side for a true lunch: chips or a pasta or grain salad turns a platter into a meal

Calculate sandwiches for your event →

2. Veggie Tray

A veggie tray covers the vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests at once and is the cheapest way to widen your dietary range. With hummus it is naturally vegan; with ranch keep the two dips in separate bowls so the vegan option stays uncontaminated.

• Plan for 1/2 cup (about 2.5 oz) per person as a snack alongside other food
• Include 5 to 6 varieties (carrots, celery, peppers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, broccoli)
• Serve hummus and ranch in separate bowls; label the hummus vegan and the ranch as containing dairy
• Cut everything to bite size so guests do not need a plate or knife

Calculate veggie tray for your event →

3. Cheese Tray

A cheese tray suits an after-work party better than a working lunch, since it is a grazing food rather than a meal. It appeals broadly but is not vegetarian-only food: pair it with the veggie tray and fruit so non-cheese eaters have something too.

• Plan for 2 oz per person when it is one of several snacks, 3 to 4 oz if it anchors the spread
• Include familiar cheeses (cheddar, swiss) plus 1 to 2 specialty options
• Pre-slice or cube part of the tray so the line keeps moving
• Add crackers, grapes, and nuts, and label the nuts clearly as an allergen

Calculate cheese tray for your event →

4. Salad

A large salad is the lighter half of a working lunch and the easiest dish to make vegan. Build it plain (greens, vegetables, a grain) and put proteins and dressings on the side so one bowl serves meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans from the same container.

• Plan for 1.5 cups per person as a side, 3 cups if the salad is the main lunch
• Keep dressing on the side so the greens do not wilt during a long event
• Offer 2 to 3 dressings and include at least one that is vegan (oil and vinegar or a tahini dressing)
• Set optional grilled chicken or chickpeas beside the bowl rather than mixed in

Calculate salad for your event →

Desserts for the Office

Cookies

Cookies travel well, need no plates, and a bakery sells them by the dozen, which makes the count easy.

• Plan for 2 cookies per person
• Offer 3 varieties such as chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and sugar
• Order at least one gluten-free or vegan batch so dessert is not off-limits to those guests, and label it
• Flag that standard cookies contain gluten, dairy, and eggs, and note any with nuts

Calculate cookies →

Brownies

Brownies are easy to portion and feel more substantial than a cookie for the same effort.

• Plan for 1.5 brownies per person
• Cut into 2-inch squares; a 9x13 pan yields about 24, so one pan covers roughly 16 people
• Standard brownies contain gluten, dairy, and eggs, and many contain walnuts: label them

Calculate brownies →

Drinks

• Plan for 1 drink per person per hour (about 2 per head at a 2-hour event), plus water always available
• For a working lunch, coffee and water carry the room; one cold drink per person is plenty
• For an after-work party, budget 1.5 to 2 non-water drinks per hour and provide plenty of ice
• Provide regular and decaf coffee, and include a sparkling water or zero-sugar option
• Keep alcohol optional and matched to workplace policy; never make it the only drink, and offer equally visible non-alcoholic choices

Calculate drinks →

Sample Menu for 20 People

Dietary Accommodations

Corporate events require thoughtful dietary planning:

• Vegetarian: Ensure at least 25% of options are meat-free
• Vegan: Label vegan items clearly; include hummus, fruit, and veggie options
• Gluten-free: Offer gluten-free crackers and clearly labeled options
• Kosher/Halal: Consider if you have employees who observe these requirements
• Allergies: Label common allergens (nuts, dairy, gluten, shellfish)
• Send a survey: For important events, survey attendees about dietary needs

Presentation for Professional Settings

• Use matching serving platters and utensils
• Provide real plates and napkins when possible (not flimsy paper)
• Label all items with ingredient cards
• Keep the food area clean and refreshed throughout the event
• Position food away from work areas to encourage mingling
• Set up trash/recycling bins nearby for easy cleanup

Budget per Person

Catering vs DIY

Consider these factors when deciding:

Order Catering When:

• You have 30+ attendees
• The event is for clients or executives
• You need hot food
• No one has time to coordinate food pickup/setup
• The event is during work hours and staff can't step away

DIY Food When:

• Budget is limited
• Small team (under 20 people)
• Casual celebration (birthday, casual Friday)
• You have volunteers willing to help
• Simple menu (sandwiches, cookies, drinks)

Timeline for Corporate Events

• 2 weeks before: Confirm headcount, book catering if needed, send dietary survey
• 1 week before: Finalize menu, confirm delivery time, assign setup volunteers
• Day before: Confirm all orders, check serving supplies, print labels
• Day of (2 hours before): Set up tables, arrange serving area
• Day of (30 min before): Receive catering or arrange food, final touches

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting vegetarian/vegan options
• Not having enough ice or cold drinks
• Ordering too much hot food that goes to waste
• Placing food too close to work areas (blocking access)
• Running out of napkins, plates, or utensils
• Forgetting to check for food allergies

Quick Calculators