Planning corporate holiday catering? This year, it’s time to make it stress-free. There will be no last-minute calls for extra seating or concerns about the quality of the food. This year, you’re knocking it out of the park. Your colleagues or clients will remember it for years to come.
Our corporate holiday catering party checklist will streamline your event planning. From menu selection and dietary needs to staffing and logistics, our experts here at Goode Co. Catering & Events are here to help. For additional guidance as you plan, you can also reference our holiday event planning tips.
We’re one of Houston’s leading full-service catering teams and know how to do this right and how so many corporate teams get this wrong. We’ve made a quick checklist before getting into a more detailed, advisory version below.
So, let’s make your planning simple!
Corporate Holiday Catering Checklist
Establishing Event Details
Choose a date and time.
Choose a location.
Determine your budget.
Determine your headcount
Send RSVPs
Choosing Your Menu Style
Choose your menu style (Buffet, plated, stations, or delivery)
Select your food style
Check dietary requirements from guests.
Choose drinks and desserts.
Determine Staff And Servicing Needs
Do you need full-service catering?
Do you need set-up and clear-up support?
Plan The Event Timeline
Service or delivery timeline
Speeches and presentations
Wrap-up deadline
Decor and Equipment
Coordinate rentals, if needed
Organize decor and theming
Final Review
Review logistics
Final 72-hour checklist
Establishing Event Details
Choose The Event Date and Time
First up, you need to set a time. If you’re inviting people within your own team, this can be a relatively simple task, since you’ll likely have access to the team calendar. But it’s still a good idea to confirm your chosen date with your colleagues.
If you’re inviting clients and people from outside your immediate working circles, then choosing a convenient time outside working hours is usually advised. We also recommend sending them a quick message to know which dates work best for them or using a poll to gauge a larger group’s ideal date and time.
Choose Location
We recommend you have a rough headcount decided before choosing your location, as there’s a big difference in choice between around 10 people and 60 people. Then, it’s time to decide.
Make a shortlist of locations (or just trust us at Goode Co. Catering & Events) and choose the one that best fits your needs. Consider:
- The location, its parking, and transportation options
- If it offers full-service catering
- The type of food on offer
If you need more guidance on selecting the right venue for a business gathering, our resource on choosing the right corporate holiday event venue might help.
You can also take the on-site option, where the catering service team comes to your location. We do that at Goode Co. Catering and Events, and even have a fully staffed mobile bar available!
Understanding Your Budget
Next, it’s time to understand how much you can afford to spend on your corporate holiday event. This will help you know which foods and drinks you can spend on and how far you can push the full-service catering experience.
For example, the more guests you invite, the more staff and service fees you’ve got to cover.
And, the bigger the private room will need to be!
Finally, you’ll want to consider the impact of hosting this event over the holiday. Prices are unlikely to be much higher, but you may want to budget for holiday decor, festive theming, and entertainment.
You can get a detailed quote from us that includes all costs to avoid any surprises later. The good news about full-service catering is that it’s actually way more cost-effective than if you were to try to organize all these moving parts with multiple different providers.
Determine Headcount and Send RSVPs
A simple one. How many guests are you inviting? Now you’ve chosen a date and location, you can start sending out RSVP’s. This can help you understand your budget for menus, drinks, and extra thrills.
While we can’t advise you on the size of your event, we do have private spaces for anywhere from around 10 to over 200 people!
Choosing Your Menu Style
Buffet vs Plated vs Stations vs Delivery
Catering these days comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Each one drastically changes the feel of any corporate holiday event. Take a moment to really think about the impact you want to have, with these options:
- Buffet: Buffets are a fun and informal, yet still restaurant-style experience for your guests. It gets people on their feet, enabling extra mingling and energy. But it does also potentially lead to distraction in conversation. So, it may not be suitable for serious, formal business chats. We love them, though, because they allow for accurate, relaxed food personalisation.
- Plated Menu Service: The sit-down dining experience is always a good idea when you’re trying to impress serious clientele. But it’s also just one of simplicity. You choose what you want, and it arrives.
- Live Stations: Action stations, as we call them, are a great way to add some variety to a plated menu service. Things like Taco or carving stations allow people to focus on their preferences, see their brisket get carved up before them, or get the sides and sauces they want. It’s a bit like a buffet, but with a more immersive catering experience.
Choosing Your Food Style
Now the fun part, choosing your menu! Your budget will determine how flexible you can get with this, as you might be able to really go all out with huge platters and multiple live stations.
But, regardless, browse your catering company of choice’s offerings and pick out what you think is best. Or send over some poll options to your invitees.
For example, at Goode Co. Catering and Events, we’ve got authentic Texan barbeque offerings, smoked how it should be – over mesquite wood. Along with Tex-Mex, fresh seafood, and signature desserts. Brasoz Bottom Pecan Pie, anyone?
Checking Dietary Accommodations
It’s essential when hosting a corporate event not to let those with dietary restrictions down. For example, lactose-intolerant or gluten-free individuals will want reassurance that their stomachs will be safe.
We’re more than used to these demands and will be happy to accommodate their needs and make adjustments where necessary.
Or, are there vegetarians or vegans in your invitees? Our barbeques might not be ideal for them… but we can make accommodations where possible with salads and vegetarian or vegan loaded potatoes (for example).
Choosing Your Drinks
Next, choose your beverages. While the usual will all be on offer when opting for on-site catering, you’ll need to decide in advance on a private venue off-site. Plenty of non-alcoholic options are essential for working hours.
For outside working hours, you can go with the complete works, holiday cocktails, fresh beers, wine, champagne, and more. Our Yonderlust mobile bar for holiday events can even be transported to your venue to provide on-site, staffed bar service all night.
Oh, and we serve coffee and desserts too!
Determine Staff and Service Needs
Do you need full-service catering?
If you’re planning to bring the catering to a private venue, you need to decide the scope of work your catering provider will be expected to do.
For example, you could just ask for them to deliver the food. Or, you could hire servers, live carving stations, chefs on-site, and bartenders. The choice is really up to you.
At Goode Co. Catering & Events, we offer full-service catering for all these demands. All served with our charming Texan hospitality.
Do you need to consider set-up and clean-up?
Again, if you’re in a private venue, will you need to handle venue setup and cleanup? Will the venue? Or, will you need your catering team to do it?
Planning Your Event Timeline
Service or Delivery Time
What time do you need the food served for your event to go smoothly? It can be a good idea to address this with your catering provider in advance to avoid the event running longer than expected.
Speeches or Presentation
If you’re looking to make an announcement, a thank-you speech, or a presentation, factor that into the timing. You may want to make it before the food is served or before dessert, for example. If so, note it and let your catering team know.
Wrap Up Time
What’s your deadline for your office holiday party catering to conclude? If you don’t need one, let the party go on all night! If you do, though, be clear to all involved so they know what to expect.
Decor and Equipment
Co-Ordinate Rentals and Equipment
Do you need to rent any equipment, such as decor, audio/visual equipment, or entertainment? If so, now’s the time to start planning for it. Your full-service catering provider may be able to provide it themselves!
Decor and Theming
Half the fun and magic of a holiday event is the holiday-themed decor. Ask your catering team whether they’ll already be handling it, or if you need to arrange extra decorations and lighting.
Alternatively, you may want to include branded theming, which will require liaising with your venue or full-service catering team.
Final Review
Review Logistics
Finally, it’s time to review the event logistics. Are all the timings good? Is there enough parking and access for the catering team (if you’re using a private venue)?
Final 72-Hour Checklist
Final guest count
Confirm menu
Confirm staffing
Confirm delivery timeline
Internal communication to employees
Dietary restrictions double-check
Payment arrangements finalized
Book Your Full Service Catering in Houston, TX Today!
As you can see, properly planning corporate catering in Houston requires covering many factors. But with a full-service catering team, you can make things much easier.
At Goode Co. Catering & Events, we can take care of a wide range of tasks, from providing a private space in our venues to food, clear-up, and hospitality. Just let us know what you need!
We highly recommend advance booking during the busy holiday season.
You can use our online form via the ‘BOOK NOW’ buttons on our website. Or email us at events@goodecompany.com or call us at 713.844.8180.