Work events are a great way to show appreciation, develop a sense of company culture and impress potential clients. But they’re a lot of responsibility and can quickly go over budget. 

That’s why we’ve created our Admin’s Guide to Food at the Office, complete with tips on ordering food that fits your budget for event planning. It covers everything you need to become the office hero.

But, if you don’t have time to read the full e-book now, here are our top five hacks to help you meet your food budget while providing a memorable and tasty event. 

Hack #1: Conduct a poll

One of the easiest ways to go over budget on a work event is by ordering too much. Perhaps the vendor’s catering menu has too many good choices, and you get some of everything—just in case someone wants some. Or maybe you decide to purchase the main course from one restaurant and a dessert from another. Even if the food itself is within your budget, the extra delivery fees and tips (don’t forget the tips) can quickly push you over the corporate event budget. 

You can avoid over-ordering by conducting a poll and asking questions to see what people actually want to eat. This can be something as simple as a few questions in an email or a Google Form. 

Try to ask yes/no questions or give multiple-choice answers to avoid open-ended questions. For example, instead of asking, “What type of cuisine would you like?” you can ask them to choose from three options to ensure you don’t get 20 different answers. Other practical questions might include, “Do you prefer a buffet or individual meal options?” and “Would you like a hearty entree or various side dishes?”

Hack #2: Calculate exactly how much food you’ll need

Instead of guestimating how much food is enough, you can calculate how many ounces or pieces of food you’ll need for your entire team. Our basic guideline is to order one pound of an entree for three to four people. That means if you have 20 people, you’ll need about 5-7 pounds of food.

Another option is counting the pieces of food. For example, the average person eats:

•      Two tacos

•      Two kebabs

•      Three pieces of chicken

•      8-10 pieces of sushi

Just multiply those numbers by the number of people attending your event, and that’s how much food you need. 

That takes care of the entrees, but what about the sides? Here are some general guidelines you can follow:

•      Chips: Chips are among the most popular sides, but not everyone eats them. You don’t want to spend money on them only to collect unopened bags of chips later. One way to avoid this is to order chips for only 85% of your headcount. 

•      Side salads: The same goes for side salads. They are popular, but not for everyone. You can reduce the amount of salad to 66% or even 50% of your headcount, especially if you are ordering other sides. The only exception is if you have vegetarians or vegans on your team who might want extra side salads.

•      Additional sides: The general rule for order sides is to get four ounces per person. However, some sides—like pasta and potato salad—are very dense. Four ounces may not look like much, and it may not go far. 

•      Desserts: The easiest way to save money is to skip dessert, but it’s a great way to show employee appreciation. A compromise is to order half the number of cookies or brownies you usually would and ask the vendor to cut them in half. 

•      Drinks: A gallon of beverages typically serves 10 people at lunch and 12-15 at breakfast. If you are hosting an outdoor event on a warm day, consider ordering more. 

Hack #3: Consider individually packed meals over a bar

One of the most popular catering event order options is a bar or buffet since it allows people to pick what they want and how much. However, the one downside is that these options usually cost more per person. Vendors typically have a set price for a certain number of people, which can be significantly more than what you’d pay for individual packages. 

For example, if you’re ordering food for 11 people, the vendor might only have packages for 10 or 20 people. You might have to get a bar for 20 to ensure everyone has enough food. That means you pay more and will likely be stuck with leftovers. 

Individually boxed lunches allow for the same personalization options at a lower price. You can appease your team’s diverse tastes while also sticking to your budget.

Hack #4: Opt for light snacks instead of a big meal

Full meals with entrees, sides, desserts and drinks can cost a lot. And for some events, it’s worth it. Sometimes light snacks or appetizers are all you need. 

Let’s say you’re organizing a meet-and-greet where people will be talking and mingling. They won’t have time to sit down and eat a full meal, so something light and simple will work best. And it will keep you well within your budget for event planning.

Hack #5: Do a post-event analysis to improve next time

Take some time after the event to determine what went well and what you can improve. Consider how much food was left over, what dishes and sides people at the most and whether the type of food supported the event or distracted from it. 

You can ask your team (perhaps with another poll) what they thought about the meal, what they enjoyed and what improvements they would like to see. 

Then you can take all those considerations and plan an even better event next time.

Simplify the event organization by partnering with ezCater

Our unofficial hack #6 is to use a catering marketplace like ezCater to compare vendor options near you and easily calculate the amount of food you need. We partner with over 100,000 restaurants, so you’re sure to find something that fits your corporate event budget and appeals to your team.