Admit it: You’ve blown a budget or two feeding the office. We understand. Affordable catering can be tough to find. According to CNBC, some companies churn through $10 to $15 a day — per employee — on meals and snacks alone. Rest assured you don’t need a huge budget to order delicious catering for your office. Here are eight cheap corporate catering ideas that won’t compromise on taste — or your budget.

1. Serve breakfast anytime

It’s no secret that morning menus are cheap. So if fueling your team at a reasonable price is your goal, consider serving breakfast or brunch as a traditional lunch. Just ramp up your usual bagel and juice bar to satisfy bigger appetites. Serve breakfast proteins like ham, bacon, and sausage in hearty casseroles, breakfast burritos, or frittatas. Fruit trays, sour cream cakes, yogurt bars, and pastries help round out the meal. These fun and affordable catering ideas will charm your coworkers, we promise.

2. Arrange buffets over boxed lunches

When it comes to cost, buffets win out over boxed lunches every time. (The price per person is almost always lower.) Not only do buffets encourage guests to mingle, but these cheap catering options provide eaters with more variety, too. It’s the perfect solution if food allergies or dietary restrictions crop up when you’re trying to serve a large or diverse crowd of eaters. It’s worth noting, however, that boxed lunches work better for small gatherings where food waste is a concern (i.e., fewer than 10 people). Have picky eaters place their own orders to minimize waste and stay on budget.

3. Choose inexpensive cuts of meat

Say “yes” to paella but “no” to top-dollar filet mignon. Less expensive cuts of meat, like chicken, help keep costs low. Supplement entrées with vegetables, stews, and curries, or build an all-vegetarian menu for your colleagues instead. Vegetarian dishes are cheap catering options that save money and address dietary concerns in one fell swoop.

4. Opt for cost-efficient cuisines

Some foods are more expensive than others. So if you need ideas for affordable catering options, build a menu around budget-friendly cuisines. Mexican, Indian, Thai, and Chinese foods won’t break the bank — and they can be stretched to feed a crowd. Steer clear of Japanese, French, and Italian dishes, which usually cost more per meal.

5. Watch the clock

Not every event has to be an all-out dining extravaganza. Consider cheap catering ideas that emphasize fun over food, like a two-hour time slot for an after-work happy hour instead of a four-hour dinner celebration. Controlling the duration of your event can reduce costs significantly, and let’s face it — finger foods are fun. Chances are people will gladly fill up on delicious apps and leave feeling just as wined and dined as if they’d had a dinner course.

6. Behave at the bar

If you plan to serve alcohol at your next catering event, these budget-conscious open bar ideas for cocktails will keep your bar tab in check. Create one signature cocktail, like a vodka sunrise, and offer it along with wine and beer. Since funding a full bar can be pricey, consider scaling back your offerings to beer and wine to keep costs under control.

7. Go casual and skip the staff

It can be tempting to choose a caterer that provides one all-inclusive business package — but that would go against our best advice for cheap catering options. Do you really need the extra cutlery or serving staff? Keep small board meetings casual to reduce labor costs and catering prices. Allow caterers to set up the room and provide serving recommendations upon delivery, then let your team self-serve from there.

8. Understand proper portions

One surefire way to bust the budget? Over-order. It’s easy to do, though. Ordering too little is a nightmare, which is why so many office admins tack on more food than they need. Defining proper catering portions is one of the best cheap catering ideas for any order — it helps keep costs in line without sacrificing food quality. So if you’re wondering, “How much brisket should I order per person?” here are some quick guidelines to follow:

• Proteins: 4-5 ounces per person
• Fried chicken: 2-3 pieces per person
• Tacos: 3 per person
• Sushi: 7-9 pieces per person
• Sides and desserts: 4-5 ounces per person

Just remember to consider the type of event, the length of the event, and the type of cuisine you’re serving when determining portions.

Find affordable catering with ezCater

You no longer have to Google “affordable catering near me” and hope for the best. Instead, open the ezCater app to feed your office without breaking the budget. With ezCater, you can set spending limits, simplify your expenses, and keep the whole team happy while you’re at it.  

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