7 Reasons to Group Order your Next Catered Meal

group order (shared cart)
noun

• A revolutionary experience where a group of people get to order their own individually-wrapped and delicious meals

So, you want a salad and I want a bacon cheeseburger? Sounds like it’s a group order day!

If you love catered lunch day at work, but wish you could skip the line and have your plate delivered just the way you want it - group ordering is for you. Using a shared cart to manage group ordering is a must-know for any office manager.

Here are seven reasons why you should consider a group order for your next catered meal.

Cater to Dietary Restrictions

Vegetarians to vegans, pescatarians to peanut allergies, kosher to keto - every type of dietary restriction is accounted for with group ordering.

Individual group ordering allows employees to account for their dietary needs, what’s more, it allows them to do so in privacy. No one should have to shout their dietary needs across the office, or via chat to the office manager. Group ordering allows for a seamless and smooth transaction.

Cater to Preferences

Aside from dietary restrictions, there’s plain old preferences. Group ordering allows everyone to get what they’re in the mood for. Blake can get a sandwich, while Taylor snags a salad bowl.

When employees hit the spot for lunch, those afternoon meetings are full of smiles and might even be productive.

Reduces Office Manager Stress

The office manager is the unsung hero of the workplace. They often don’t get enough credit for their impact on company culture whether it’s a colocated, remote or hybrid work environment.

One small way to show gratitude is to reduce their workload when you can. This means things like rinsing your own dishes and putting the toilet seat down. Go further and make sure they don’t have to take everyone’s order one by one. Group ordering allows everyone to pick their own meal, on their own team (within reason that is).

This frees up the office manager to do more important things, like ordering a new case of Lacroix!

It’s Food Safety Conscious

Pandemic or no pandemic, it’s always a good idea to practice smart food safety and overall cleanliness. Better safe than sorry is a good rule to follow when it comes to food prep and sharing, especially with a group of coworkers.

Group ordering allows for individually-packaged meals so there’s less germ-spreading than a buffet style system. On top of that, it’s delivered stress-free without the dreaded waiting in line.

Less Waste, More Satisfaction

It’s always a bit disheartening to see a big pile of unclaimed food after a company lunch. Ideally it’s taken home for leftovers or donated to a local shelter, but in reality there’s usually a lot of waste.

With group ordering, every employee gets their own meal prepared for one. There’s no waste and any leftovers are already boxed up and ready to go. Of course, office managers can always add on a few extra orders for unexpected guests.

In Fairness We Trust

We’ve all been out to dinner with friends when the bill comes and someone offers to “split the bill.” Everyone throws their cards in for an even split. Except you look down at that one meal you got, and look over at “that” friend as they finish up their dessert after crushing two appetizers and entree.  

The same behavior can happen with traditional office catering orders, one person orders an entree with a drink while others assume they’re only allotted a meal. If this is something that is important to you, group ordering through CaterCow institutes a fairness principle, 1-person, 1-meal. Everyone can get what they want without adding an unfair payment burden to others.

Multi-Device Ordering

When lunch calls, it calls. It might be before noon or 1 PM, but when you’re ready to order, patience is limited. That’s why the ability to order from separate computers and devices is critical.

For instance, if Nicole is in a meeting around lunch time, they can still jump on the group order if someone sends them the link. Or maybe someone takes an ill-timed bathroom break around noon? Not a problem, they can quickly order via their phone while they do their business.