Baltimore is home to a vibrant, impressive food scene, and corporate catering gives employers the opportunity to make company events more memorable. But to be successful, it has to be done well.
When organizing corporate event catering in Baltimore, it’s important to consider all of your options. With so many different factors to think about, it's easy to forget crucial details. That’s why we’ve put together a quick guide to help you find the right corporate catering partner for your event.
Baltimore has a lot to offer, and its culture and local food scene are no exception. The restaurants you choose to bring in for corporate catering will have a big impact on how employees feel about the experience. Playing to the strengths of Baltimore through your workplace food program can help increase engagement, support employee satisfaction, and help create a memorable catering experience every time.
While Baltimore is known for its art and music scene, the city is also home to an outstanding local restaurant industry. As a result of the city’s proximity to the Atlantic coast, blue crab, crab cakes, and lake trout have become local staples. Fried chicken, fast-cooked pit beef, and snowballs are also common favorites.
Alongside these iconic dishes, Baltimore is also home to a large selection of Caribbean, African, and soul food. Additionally, public markets featuring a wide variety of international food can be found all over the city. You can also find neighborhoods featuring high concentrations of cultural cuisines scattered throughout Baltimore. From Italian to Middle Eastern to Latin American, Baltimore has a little bit of everything.
This variety means that employees are never short on options, and they’re unlikely to be impressed by generic catering spreads that could be found anywhere in the country. Bringing the food they enjoy into the office is a great way to show appreciation and make your corporate event catering stand out.
According to the Foundation for Social Connection, Baltimore residents have a strong sense of community that stems from a rich cultural history. The city’s thriving arts scene, historic architecture, and close-knit neighborhoods have fostered a unique sense of local pride.
A Fidelity Charitable study found that 86% of employees want their employers’ values to match their own. By working with local restaurants, you can appeal to employees’ sense of community. Maryland’s restaurant industry accounts for over 256,000 jobs statewide, making it a valuable part of the state’s economic health.
When you work with local restaurants for your catering needs, you’re pouring money back into the community you operate out of. This direct impact can help these restaurants expand, open additional locations, and hire new employees. It shows that you care about the greater community, and that value alignment can improve retention, help employees feel more connected to the company’s mission, and motivate them to do their best work.
No two events are alike, and every office is going to have differing tastes. Before you start looking at specific catering options, make sure you understand what your needs are. If there’s a mismatch, it can derail your schedule and leave guests confused or dissatisfied. Choosing the right catering format based on your event type, headcount, budget, and employee preferences is the best way to make sure your event is a success.
Not all caterers can accommodate large groups, and others have strict minimum order costs. Having a rough idea of how many people you need to feed can help you narrow down your options. To get these numbers, you can send out RSVP forms or rely on data from previous catering events.
Appropriately adjusting for headcount also allows you to minimize food waste. Less guesswork makes it less likely that you’ll over order or run short. This helps your event run smoothly without forcing you to spend more than you need to.
Different events call for different levels of formality, convenience, and interactivity. Not every catering format will work for every occasion, so it’s important to find one that matches your needs.
For example, boxed lunches probably aren’t the best choice when you’re trying to impress potential clients, and a buffet line is likely to disrupt the flow of a working meeting. Luckily, there are plenty of options to choose from. To pick the right one, consider what your goals are. Do you want to create a formal atmosphere? Make the weekly all-hands meeting more enjoyable? Encourage employee socialization? Knowing what you want to achieve will allow you to choose a catering format that supports your event rather than working against it.
When deciding on a corporate event caterer, think about your company culture. Your company may not have the same culinary preferences as a company down the street. Will your team be expecting something healthy? Adventurous? Unique? By getting a better feel for your employees’ tastes, you can tailor your catering options to them and make their catering experience feel more rewarding and engaging.
Before you begin looking into catering options, settle on a budget. This will depend on the number of people you need to feed, what kind of service you want to offer, and which catering partner you go with.
Serviced catering formats, such as staffed buffets, white-glove service, and interactive experiences will have a higher per-person cost, while boxed meals or drop-off catering will be less expensive. Similarly, more elevated dishes, such as artisan grazing tables or upscale meals, will carry a higher price tag than more casual options like build-your-own stations or traditional buffet catering. Determining a budget early can help you set realistic expectations.
Once you know what your needs are, the next step is to decide what catering format you want to go with. It’s important to know what kind of service you’re looking for before you start looking for catering partners.
With so many great corporate catering options in Baltimore, it’s hard to pick just one. To help you get started, here are three great options. They’re all part of Fooda’s local restaurant network, making it easy to bring them into your workplace.
Open for over a decade, Mama Maj Meals specializes in Southern comfort food. Their longevity is a testament to their quality and commitment to tradition and community. Everything they serve has a home-cooked feel to it, making it a warm, hospitable catering choice. Their wings, turkey legs, and classic sides are all delicious options, but their seafood puts a uniquely Baltimore twist on traditional Southern flavors and cooking methods.
Somethang Delicious serves soul comfort food with recipes built on love, tradition, and bold flavors. This food truck has quickly become a beloved local staple, and they’re known for the quality of their catering. They have a large, highly customizable catering menu featuring hors d'oeuvres, salads, starches, vegetables, and chicken, beef, and seafood entrees. This extensive menu allows you to accommodate diverse tastes and dietary needs without having to work with multiple different vendors.
Open since 2019, The Caribbean Stop was founded on a long-time love of cooking and a desire to share Jamaican culture with the Baltimore community. While their 24-hour jerk marinades, expertly cooked oxtail, Rasta Pasta, and curry chicken are popular favorites, they also serve lesser-known Caribbean staples such as brown stew chicken, steamed veggie bowls, and escovitch fish. Their sides, desserts, and coco bread make for a well-rounded menu for any office looking for a unique, engaging catering experience.
Organizing corporate events can quickly begin to feel overwhelming. One of the easiest ways to take some of the strain off your admin team is by partnering with a workplace food provider that handles the details for you. With Fooda Corporate Event Catering, you can hand off the burden of vetting and communicating with potential corporate caterers, giving your team more time to focus on other projects. Here’s how it works:
If you’re ready to simplify corporate catering in your Baltimore office, contact a Fooda sales representative today to get started.
What food is Baltimore known for?
Baltimore’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean gives the city access to fresh-caught seafood, making dishes such as blue crab and lake trout. Another local favorite is snowballs, which are a specialized kind of snowcone. Additionally, the city is home to a variety of international cuisines.
How far in advance should I book corporate catering in Baltimore?
It depends. If you’re catering for a small group, 48-72 hours’ notice is typically sufficient, while larger orders should be placed weeks in advance. Serviced catering will also require more notice, as the caterer will need time to make staffing arrangements.
How much does corporate catering cost in Baltimore?
Corporate catering costs depend on a number of factors, mainly what kind of catering you’re budgeting for and how many people you need to feed. White-glove service will carry a higher per-head cost than boxed lunches or drop-off buffets. One way to address spending concerns is to create a budget beforehand and look for catering options that fit.
How do I accommodate dietary restrictions in my Baltimore corporate catering?
To accommodate dietary restrictions, you first need to get an idea of what your office’s dietary needs are. Once you know what accommodations need to be made, you can work with your catering partner to ensure that everyone gets access to something they can safely eat. Third-party catering providers, like Fooda, can coordinate with restaurants on your behalf.
What’s the best catering option for a small group in Baltimore?
Multiple catering options can work well for small groups. Boxed lunches allow you to order the exact number of meals you need, while buffets may have minimum order sizes that leave you with too many leftovers. To best determine what kind of catering will fit your headcount, examine your options carefully or work with a provider that can find the best options for your event.
