A simple way to promote team bonding is to hire a catering service so the entire staff can eat lunch together. With the COVID-19 pandemic, remote meetings are more important than ever to foster communication among employees. Here’s what to know about organizing a remote lunch meeting. 

How to Host Remote Lunch Meetings

1. Plan Ahead

Your employee’s schedules are going to vary more when everyone is working remotely. There may be employees handling distractions, such as parents dealing with children.

Designate a facilitator of the event to contact everyone at least a week in advance to schedule the lunch. Depending on the size of the event, you may want to use online scheduling tools to avoid back-and-forth emails and settle on a time that works for everyone. 

If you want everyone to have plenty of time to talk, keep the headcount under 10 people. If you have a large staff, consider scheduling meetings for separate departments or randomly grouping people together so that they can get to know each other better.

2. Provide Food

Offering a complimentary meal to your employees shows you care and will make them more eager to attend the virtual event. Doing this remotely will take some creativity. If your office is temporarily remote and everyone lives in the same area, you could order food through a catering service and have it delivered to your staff or allow them to pick it up from the office. 

3. Set a Time Limit

The facilitator of the event will need to set a timeframe for the lunch. This will depend on several factors, including minimum break requirements, video software capability, and meeting goals.

You may want a longer meeting if you’re planning to discuss work before or after the meal. A shorter gathering may suffice if the goal is for everyone to take a break and socialize for a bit.

If you’re hosting a remote lunch meeting and want to hire a catering service, contact Corporate Caterers Tampa in Temple Terrace, FL. This company has been offering delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner options to Polk, Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough counties for over 20 years. They can help you create a fabulous workplace lunch, whether remote or in-person. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (813) 397-6579 with any questions.