The State of Boxed Lunches & Corporate Catering

Looking for variety or customization? Need a portable and convenient corporate catering idea? Consider ordering boxed lunches for your upcoming event. Unlike what you may have experienced in the past, today’s boxed lunch catering services strive to account for consumer preferences in more ways than ever before. As you contemplate this menu selection for your next team meeting or appreciation luncheon, you may be curious about the following:

● Boxed lunches and current corporate catering trends

● Benefits of boxed lunches

● How to choose a boxed lunch catering service

● Corporate catering options from Freddy’s

Keep reading to learn more about why and how to choose boxed lunches for your next corporate event and how the Freddy’s near you can assist you with your catering needs!

Boxed Lunches and Current Corporate Catering Trends

While boxed lunches are not a new addition to corporate catering menus, they are continuing to evolve in order to meet changing consumer needs and wants. Whether you are in search of lunches that feature health-conscious options or heritage cooking as highlighted as current food trends at Delish, boxed lunches may enable you to best fulfill the diverse needs of your diners. Below, discover 3 key trends in catering and how boxed lunches can align with these trends.

Personalization and Customization

As discussed at Paytronix, personalized and/or customizable menus are one of the top catering trends. These types of menus can accommodate a vast array of client or guests requests. For example, the menu for a corporate conference might be designed with the event’s theme in mind. Menus that are customizable also help ensure that everyone at the event has food that they can enjoy. Whether diners are looking for selections that work for their dietary considerations or toppings or portions of their choice, the opportunity for customization is becoming more and more common in corporate catering offerings.

In addition to interactive dining experiences like a build-your-own burger bar, boxed lunches are often another easy way to offer customization. Simply having the choice of more than a few meals may be one way for diners to choose a meal that they’ll enjoy. Depending on the ordering method or catering service, they may even be able to submit any special instructions or customize the main dishes themselves.

Eco-Friendly Efforts

Whether at their favorite quick-serve restaurants or in choosing catering services, consumers care more and more about sustainability. According to Cater + Event, here are some of the common practices of more eco-friendly catering services:

● Opting for product packaging that’s reusable or compostable containers instead of plastic ones

● Providing bins and directions for trash, recycling and even composting

● Using local or seasonal ingredients

● Reducing food waste through menu planning, composting efforts or donations when possible

In addition to the type of packaging material that may be used for them, boxed lunches, especially customized box lunches, may help to reduce food waste (and the monetary costs that often accompany this waste). Boxed lunches are one way to achieve the most accurate portions for each individual. Plus, the packaging for these meals may also make it easier to store any leftovers for later consumption.

Leveraging Technology

Both Caterease and Paytronix emphasize how catering companies can benefit from their use of technology. For example, leveraging it for collecting and reviewing consumer data can result in vital information that may help improve corporate catering menus. From digital menus to online ordering capabilities, these tools can also help streamline operations, ultimately supporting a simpler and easier consumer experience overall.

How might the use of technology further impact boxed lunch catering? One example is the consumer data that informs each year’s general food trends, which helps corporate caterers better understand the kind of boxed lunches that people are looking for (as well as any data they may gather from their own businesses). Additionally, technology can help simplify the boxed lunch customization process or make it easier to order in general. For example, here are 5 easy steps for ordering the individual lunches you need online at Freddy’s:

● Before starting the ordering process, log in to your Freddy’s Rewards account. You may also want to join this program first, if you aren’t already a member, as you can earn points on catering orders toward FREE items from Freddy’s restaurant menu.

● Then, click on the “Catering” tab and select “Order Catering” to view the menu. After reviewing the options for the “Bagged Lunches” or any others, click “Start Catering Order” from any menu item.

● First, determine your order type. Then, you’ll put in a city or search the available locations at which to place your order. You can also submit your preferred address for delivery to be matched with the closest Freddy’s near you. Once you’ve chosen the location that works for you, you’ll click “Start Order” and select your date and pickup or delivery time.

● Then, fill your bag with individual meals or any other items. Before you check out, you’ll be able to see all of your selections, your total cost with tax and recommendations for other items that you may have forgotten to include with your bagged lunches.

● Once you’ve double-checked that you have everything you need, all that’s left to do is submit and confirm any final details like contact information and payment and place your order!

Benefits of Boxed Lunches

Boxed lunches offer many benefits as a corporate catering option. In addition to enabling staff members, clients or guests to choose a meal that they’ll enjoy, here are 7 more reasons to select boxed lunches for your next meeting, conference or other event:

1. Boxed lunches can be a time-saving meal idea.

Since they are pre-packaged, these meals take less time to pick up or distribute. Especially when there may only be a short lunch break between presentations, boxed lunches may provide a more relaxing dining experience in contrast to hurrying through various buffet stations. They can also be a time-saver when it comes to setup or cleanup.

2. Boxed lunches may also offer a budget-friendly meal option.

They can help cut down on spending by reducing the potential for ordering more food than necessary. This meal choice may also provide catering organizers with a more precise sense of per person expenses. Additionally, these meals don’t require trained staff for service, such as a plated meal or a food station might.

3. Providing boxed lunches is one way to help everyone stay on schedule.

Instead of potential travel-related delays from eating out or the hassle of multiple people waiting to use the single microwave in the break room to reheat their lunches, boxed lunches allow event hosts and participants to nourish themselves and decompress before activities resume. Are you having a working lunch? Boxed lunches make for less disruptive choices than servers delivering to tables or the clinking and clattering that often accompanies movement through a buffet line.

4. For meal transparency, a boxed lunch may be the best bet.

The National Restaurant Association® highlights clear menu labeling as one of the top current trends in the restaurant and foodservice industry. Online descriptions for boxed lunches and detailed labels on the packaged items upon receipt are ways to fulfill this demand. Some of the desirable information that may be present includes the list of ingredients (perhaps highlighting any that are locally-sourced), potential allergens, and nutritional content.

5. Boxed lunches are often considered one of the most sanitary and portable meal options.

They are individually packaged and sealed, so they are less likely to be touched by anyone other than the intended recipient. In the event of break-out lunch sessions for individual teams or a nice, sunny day in the office courtyard, having a meal that’s easy to transport might be ideal.

6. For a more inclusive dining option, opt for boxed lunches.

In addition to providing meals tailored to each person’s dietary preferences and considerations, boxed lunches (perhaps from the same catering service that’s providing these meals on-site) can also be a way to make people feel like they are part of the experience, even if they aren’t present in person. Gift cards are another way to treat your team members to a meal, even if they work remotely.

7. Providing boxed lunches can be beneficial for your business as a whole.

According to ezCater, catering meals in the workplace has been shown to “boost morale, drive productivity, and ultimately, improve the bottom line.” The findings from the surveyed contributors show that intentional food use serves to entice prospective employees, to support the longevity of current staff, and to encourage team members to engage in and be present for on-site work and other events.

How to Choose a Boxed Lunch Catering Service

Whether for your annual fundraising gala or the next team meeting, careful thought often goes into choosing a corporate catering service. While looking specifically for a caterer that offers boxed lunches might help narrow your options, you’ll still want to gather a variety of information about your potential catering providers. Here are some questions that you’ll want to consider or have answered by each company during the search process:

What are your diners’ needs?

If you haven’t already collected some information regarding food preferences and considerations, then now is the time to do so. Depending on the size of the group and catering provider, it may be possible for each person to choose or customize their own boxed lunches. In other circumstances, you as the catering coordinator may have a list of allergen or other considerations that you’ll need to review with a potential caterer. Although gathering this information takes some extra work and time, your guests will appreciate that you’ve made every effort to ensure that they have a meal to enjoy.

Do the boxed lunches complement any other company, diner or event considerations?

Yes, the food available on a catering menu is a key consideration in your selection of boxed lunches. However, if you are a small business yourself, then you might want to choose boxed lunches from a fellow local small business. In the busy season or when the weather outside is frightful, then you may want boxed lunch catering that features nostalgic or global comfort foods – two other current food trends in the Top 10 Overall Trends from the National Restaurant Association®. For a company that values sustainability, choosing catered boxed lunches featuring ingredients from local growers or artisans or a caterer that utilizes other eco-friendly practices may be the best fit.

What kind of information can be provided regarding each menu selection?

In some cases, what’s included in a boxed lunch or details like nutritional information or potential allergens may be listed on the catering menu or elsewhere on the website. If not, ask about how each boxed lunch order will be identified (perhaps specific to each recipient) and about providing any necessary content regarding each menu selection, such as ingredient lists or preparation.

Will the boxed lunch catering company meet your timing and service requirements?

For planning purposes for your event, ask about the timeline from order to fulfillment as well as the logistics of acquiring orders or dealing with any issues. Often, boxed lunches are chosen for their ease and convenience, as well as being one of the quicker catered meal options. Therefore, especially if your dining window is short or you need your order within a few hours or days, a fast food catering service might be a good fit.

How do you package your meals?

Whether you are wondering about the use of recyclable or compostable containers, are curious about keeping food warm or cold, or just want to confirm the clean, presentable appearance of these meals, remember to ask caterers about their approach to meal packaging. In some instances, the packaging might be another way to provide personalized touches, so you’ll need to determine if the catering provider can accommodate such requests. Finally, if your inquiry about what is included in the boxed lunches didn’t clarify the plan for napkins, condiments or utensils, then be sure to ask about these details too.

Does this boxed lunch caterer work for your budget?

Prior to starting your search for any corporate catering service, you likely have some idea about budget. Catering menus that include prices for boxed lunches up front as well as any extra costs related to customization, delivery or other additions help gauge costs per person. If this kind of transparency isn’t available or you’ve narrowed down the list of potential caterers, it’s time to ask for these specifics before going any further. In discussing catering costs, also be sure to find out about any order minimums, as well as any cancellation or adjustment policies.

At some point during your search process, don’t forget to check out any available reviews of the boxed lunches and the catering company in general. In some cases, you may even be able to try the boxed lunch offerings for yourself prior to working with a particular catering company.

Boxed Lunches and Other Corporate Catering Selections at Freddy’s

At Freddy’s, our catering menu is designed to provide your group of diners with more than a few sandwich choices. Instead, you’ll find a selection of menu ideas to mix and match for your particular needs. If you are looking for individual meals, our “Bagged Lunches” may enable you to reap many of the benefits associated with boxed lunch catering. Given the continuing trends of customizable and interactive food experiences, we also offer several build-your-own bars on the Freddy’s catering menu, including savory and sweet options. As you investigate potential catering options for your upcoming event, learn more about Freddy’s bagged lunches and build-your-own meal options below.

Freddy’s Bagged Lunches

With bagged lunches from Freddy’s, your staff or team members have the opportunity to choose from a number of favorite menu items. Steakburger fans might go for the Bacon & Cheese Double, while those looking for some spice with their burgers might prefer the Jalapeño Pepper Jack Double. With these steakburger choices and others, familiar toppings are provided on the side, like mustard, onion, and pickles for the former burger selection or sautéed jalapeños and Freddy’s Spicy Jalapeño Fry Sauce® for the latter bagged lunch. That way, guests can customize their burgers with their preferred amount of toppings or condiments. Looking for a bun-free meal? There is also a lettuce-wrapped steakburger on our bagged lunch menu.

In addition to more than 5 different steakburger meal choices, diners also have a choice of an All-Beef Hot Dog Meal or one of the three different chicken sandwiches, including the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, the Crispy Chicken Club and the Grilled Chicken Club. With their assembled chicken sandwich or hot dog, these bagged lunches and the ones featuring steakburgers include a side of Freddy’s Kettle Chips and a tasty brownie to complete the meal.

3 Build-Your-Own Options

Bagged and boxed lunches require little more than distribution to their intended recipient, once these orders have arrived. However, for a more relaxed and engaging corporate catering idea, one of the available build-your-own selections on the Freddy’s catering menu may be a better fit. In addition to burger bar catering and hot dog bar catering, we also offer sundae bar catering featuring our rich and creamy frozen custard. Here’s what is included in each selection:

Burger Bars

With two different burger bar catering options to choose from – the Standard Burger Bar and the Deluxe Burger Bar, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your corporate occasion. If you are looking for greater variety in your toppings and condiments for your burgers, opt for the Deluxe Burger Bar. While the ways to customize their burgers is greater with the deluxe option, both burger bar catering orders otherwise come with 10 doubles (w/ cheese) and 10 servings of Freddy’s Kettle Chips. Hosting an appreciation luncheon for your team? One of these build-your-own burger bars might be the perfect size for your group and a crowd-pleasing choice.

Hot Dog Bars

Looking for other nostalgic or classic fare for your upcoming event? In addition to our mouthwatering burger bars, consider our Standard and Deluxe Hot Dog Bars. Each of these orders includes 10 hot dogs and 10 servings of Freddy’s Kettle Chips. With one build-your-own hot dog bar, diners have the opportunity to enjoy classic hot dog toppings like ketchup, mustard and relish. However, the other order option welcomes people to choose their favorite familiar condiments or to create different types of hot dogs, like a chili cheese dog!

Sundae Bar

Whether you order boxed lunches, build-your-own burger bars or any other corporate catering meal options, a sweet selection for your guests or team to enjoy is a thoughtful choice. For a unique treat experience, consider sundae bar catering for your corporate catering needs. As with other DIY meal ideas, these treats take a little more time to assemble and enjoy than an option like the brownie with a bagged lunch or one that you can grab from a tray. However, it is also this kind of finale to a meal or a surprise amidst a day-long conference that can create a special feel for your event participants. Each of our Create-Your-Own Sundae Bar orders includes 2 quarts of Freddy’s frozen custard – one chocolate and one vanilla, as well as toppings like hot fudge, strawberries, candy pieces and more. Our sundae bar catering item is designed to serve 10, but if you’ve got some sweet tooths on your team, you may want to add an extra order just in case!

For corporate catering ideas your team will actually love, consider having future meals catered by your local Freddy’s. Whether you are ordering from the Freddy’s just around the corner or one in an entirely different state during the week of an annual conference, surprise and delight your guests with our take on boxed lunches or interactive build-your-own catering.