Beyond the Potluck: Elevate Your Event With Catering

A common tradition for office parties is to provide an event with a potluck-style invitation. You might think this is the right choice to involve the staff and enjoy food and fellowship while keeping costs down.

Now imagine that standard potluck fare replaced with a tantalizing spread of cool, crisp salads; savory, steamy pastas; and delectable desserts. You likely know that sounds more appealing, and you know your staff will probably agree. Offer a genuine treat that is safe and surprisingly cost-effective. Choose a catered party over a potluck event.

You want to provide a memorable party with great food. Although your coworkers might each have some special family recipes on their arsenals, the dishes often do not pair very well together. Even with themed potlucks, you will likely assemble a random assortment of textures and flavors that do not add up to a cohesive meal.

Another reality is that not every offering will have that same delicious homemade appeal. Often, potluck guests leave behind several emptied dishes in combination with some untouched food and, possibly, hurt feelings.

Even if individual items are delicious, the meal will usually not be the same quality as from a catered menu. With the help of a caterer, you can choose a variety of options to suit the food restrictions and tastes of your group. You can trust the quality of the food and the cohesiveness of the meal.

Another disadvantage to the quality of potluck dishes versus catered fare is food safety concerns. You want to enjoy a meal without worries over possible pathogen or allergen contamination.

How you prepare, transport, and handle food factors into its quality and safety. Proper handwashing, cutting board procedures, and surface sanitation steps are all necessary to ensure prepared food is free from possible viral and bacterial cross contamination.

Even if prepared properly, keeping food safe can be hard. Many items need to remain at safe temperatures for extended periods of time. According to USDA guidelines, hot foods must stay above 140 degrees and cold dishes below 40 degrees. More than two hours spent between these temperatures, and food is unsafe, which means you must throw out the food. This temperature range is difficult to manage in potluck situations but is often second nature to a caterer.

You may have coworkers with severe food allergies. You cannot ensure that food prepared at home was not subject to cross contamination. This reality often forces food-sensitive guests to avoid potluck options and not enjoy the party.

Even though a quality caterer supplies safer, more delicious food, the lower cost of a potluck may still tempt you. However, you need to factor in all the true costs.

The cost of food is a combination of materials and labor. With a potluck, you and your coworkers bring the food and work to prepare it. Instead of spreading the cost among your coworkers (and yourself!), save everyone the trouble when you leave the menu to an expert.

Even what you might save spreading out the food cost, you can often end up spending on other necessary supplies. The serving and chafing dishes, ice, tableware, napkins, and tablecloths can easily add up to a hefty bill.

A caterer brings the food and the supplies, then cleans up afterward. All of this allows you and your office to focus on what is important for your event and then get home or back to work with nothing but a satisfying feeling and great memories.

If you oversee your next office party, go beyond the potluck and offer a catered event. We would love to offer a true Italian meal experience for your office. Contact us today and explore your many menu options.