Menu suggestions for board meetings

Check with your local delis. One of the ones in our area has a service where you can set up an order online and let the attendees sign in & choose what they want from the menu the day before. The lunches are boxed and labeled with the individual’s name. This way everyone has a choice, not just the person running the meeting

I do 2 Board meetings a year and many committee meetings. The past couple of meetings I ordered and served wraps with lettuce salad, chips and soda. That has been a “big hit.” Many of the members commented on how much they liked the meal. Try it and see what the response is.

I would have to ask-do you use a caterer or provide the food yourself? Our Board meets at 9 a.m. I used to provide the food/beverage items myself. We then started using a caterer. It has been a dream. My time is freed to do other more important things. Since you are using a caterer, they plan the menu. You just need to work with the caterer. You should meet with your superior and pitch the idea. Point out-do they really want to be paying your hourly wage for you to run around and gather up all the necessary items for the Board. If you can’t afford a caterer, you could investigate the idea of ordering from an establishment that delivers. Some ideas for lunch are: pasta & salad, wraps, a taco buffet, a pizza & salad buffet, soup & salad, a burger bar. If you do a little investigating on the web (menu ideas) I am sure you could come up with some innovative ideas. Good luck and happy eating!

Our company uses different eateries each month. Sometimes we get Subway, other times it will be BBQ or Chick Fil A. If we use a restaurant, they will take the individual orders of each person (usually from a pre-determined set of menu items) and that way people get to choose what they want.

I know what you mean about “food” issues. I’ve run into that problem also. We normally have sandwiches, assorted cookies, and individually packaged fruit. But, once in a while I hear complaints. Unfortunately, good catering options gets expensive.

We have ordered from a local Italian restaurant and ordered lemon chicken, lasagna, Caesar salad, salmon, garlic rolls. We’ve also ordered from a Mexican restaurant and ordered chicken burritos and assorted meat tacos (which don’t work out very well since they have to put it together themselves), guacamole, chips & salsa, and for dessert – churros and flan. (hhhmmm…I haven’t tried Chinese food yet).

Look for local restaurants that offer catering. The food is usually packaged to make it easier for individuals to serve themselves. See if your company will invest in a chafing dish. This will help in keeping the food warm, especially if your Board members are like mine, they eat after the meeting.

Good luck!

I work for a large corporation. Box lunches get boring after a while. I have used the sandwich places like Subway, Lenny’s or Chik-Fil-A. But try doing BBQ, Italian, Moe’s for Mexican enchiladas and burritos with chips, pizzas and salad, Chinese with egg rolls and rice with meat dishes. Don;t limit yourself to sandwiches. Have fun with a different theme for each meeting. Try using a few decorations to dress up the meal. The bosses will love it.

Our Board consists of all men…so I normally order from our local grocery store’s deli department. We get a meat tray and a fruit and veggie tray. We also buy rolls, so they can put their own sandwiches together. In addition, I’ll get some cookies, soda and water. They usually want to get back to work, so I don’t think an extravagant meal meets their needs. Our annual shareholder meeting is usually in the morning, so we have exceptionally good doughnuts, fruit trays, juices – a type of mini brunch. Simple is good – and the cost is usually under $500 for the board meeting, and maybe under $300 for the annual meeting. Pretty low – and they deliver. I also provide a simple breakfast for a monthly meeting, and provide the exceptional warm breads and fruit trays. People are happy and it is simple. It’s delivered warm at 6:30 am for a 7:00 meeting.

We have gone with wraps to keep it interesting. It is basically the same cost as a sandwich with traditional sandwich toppings inside a wrap instead. We all prefer them to sandwiches actually. You can go for more interesting stuffings too like roasted chicken caesar or Mediterranean vegetable. Another option is panini sandwiches if you can find a reasonable supplier in your area.

I usually have from one to three meetings per week. I try and mix up what I have each week so it’s doesn’t get boring. I use the catering service through a couple of the local restaurants near us like Atlanta Bread Company or Chik-Fil-A. I also go out myself and actually go grocery shopping for things like beverages (water, soda, tea), chips, desserts and already prepared fresh fruit and vegetable trays. I do have a couple of vegetarians so I always make sure I have something suitable for them as well. One of their favorite items is the fruit tray or veggie sandwiches. Good Luck and have fun!

Why not ask them? Our board goes for different meals each month. They prefer variety, too, so they are asked what they want and we go with that.

Our Board usually meets at 5:30 PM. I like using a fantastic caterer and ordering heavy hors d’oeuvres. That way they can eat more or less according to their plans for the evening. They have been very happy with the variety! Other meetings are at lunch time where we have pizza, sandwiches, or box lunches, with fruit or cookies for desert, always remembering to have vegetarian selections available.

Boston Market is great. They will deliver in most markets and set up for a small fee. You can order on-line at http://www.bostonmarket.com/catering. I’ve had great reviews from meeting members. I’ll even use them two days in row. Ordering sandwiches one day and hot meals the other. Additionally, the cost is inexpensive.