Celebrated on the first Friday of March each year, Employee Appreciation Day is an ideal opportunity to show your team members how much you value and respect their contributions. However, you don’t need to wait until March to show appreciation. Sometimes, an impromptu celebration is in order. The only issue is that not everyone likes the same things, with the notable exception of food.
Who doesn’t like to gorge, especially on free food?
By providing some snacks to nibble on at home, a lunch day in the (virtual) break room, or an end-of-week feast, your employees will feel appreciated and acknowledged. Use some of these employee appreciation food ideas to get your team’s taste buds jumping. Nothing says thanks for hard work like sweet treats, guilty pleasures, or other delicious meal options.
Food brings the whole team together, but what you serve can make or break the occasion. Promoting healthy snacks is always a smart move, but breaking from the mundane or health-food craze is the better choice in the name of fun (and flavor).
All options are on the table on the day of your employee appreciation meal. Whether you want to indulge a sweet tooth, showcase your staff members’ cooking abilities, or opt for American classics, these employee appreciation food ideas should give you some inspiration.
Pro Tip: Talk to your employees before you implement any of your employee appreciation food ideas. Meals may not have to meet every dietary need, but you should have secondary options to accommodate dietary preferences or requirements, such as gluten-free choices.
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A catered lunch is always a welcome addition to the office. Before you send invites or post fliers, create a budget. Once you have an idea of how much money you can spend, finding the perfect employee appreciation lunch should be easier.
In the modern work environment, peer recognition is every bit as important as praise from management. The only problem is how to encourage it.
Fortunately, a potluck is one of the employee appreciation food ideas that can do just that. This in-office option requires employees to make their own food, but that’s the only downside. Remember that they can always create a few dishes on their own (or order meal delivery) for a makeshift potluck.
If employees agree to make their own dishes, however, you can showcase your staff's culinary skills and get people to discuss the creative ways they prepared each one. It’s fun and engaging, and if everyone's on board, it’s an innovative DIY employee appreciation food idea.
For those with a larger budget, food trucks are a proven winner. In most cities, you can find food trucks lurking near large corporate campuses or buildings during lunch hour. Some local restaurants even have their own food truck to capitalize on festivals, sporting events, and other gatherings.
To put this employee appreciation food idea into play, call around to see what food truck companies are available. You might be surprised how willing they are to help you spread appreciation among your employees.
Perhaps the most versatile of any Employee Appreciation Day food ideas, the taco bar is easy to customize with all types of proteins and veggies. Whether your staff is carnivorous or vegan, gluten-free or open to all options, or spicy or spice-averse, the taco bar brings it all together in a sumptuous, scrumptious feast.
So long as you don’t judge the person who wants a well-done burger, a make-your-own burger bar is pure, lip-licking bliss. You bring the burgers, offer multiple types of buns (classic, ciabatta, pretzel, etc.), and provide all the toppings and condiments. Think lettuce, tomato, pickle — or the less-traditional options like BBQ sauce and beets (yep, Australian-style). The rest is entirely up to your employees.
They’ll appreciate the creative nature of making their own burger and roll out concoctions that provide insight into their tastes. Whether they’re a plain Jane with meat and cheese only or a Renaissance (wo)man able to combine multiple tastes into one delicious patty on bread, it’s always exciting to see what happens at the office burger bar.
Don’t forget to throw in a few veggie burgers for the office vegans/vegetarians or those with dietary restrictions.
If lunch catering options are outside your budget, you can still bring your A-game to your Employee Appreciation Day food concept. Even a bite-sized morsel can bring smiles to your employees’ faces — and a touch of fun.
Not all employee appreciation food ideas can get everyone excited — or can they? Aside from the lactose-intolerant, who doesn’t love an ice cream social? It’s sweet, creamy, and with so many flavors, everyone can find something they enjoy.
Plus, studies show that the amino acids in ice cream can boost serotonin production, giving your ice cream treat a scientifically backed boost to mental health and wellness.
For a finishing touch, include a table with all the fixin’s — sprinkles, fruit, chocolate sauce, or whatever gets your mouth watering.
Whether you need an Employee Appreciation Day idea or want to celebrate the contributions of your entire staff, nothing says thanks like a cupcake. National and local bakeries offer cupcakes in an assortment of flavors to suit every palate. If you plan ahead, you can also get customized cupcakes with your choice of company colors, the employee’s name, or your company logo.
Sending happy hour drinks to virtual employees with Hoppier or bringing some booze to the office can help your employees unwind after a long day or stressful project. However, some may have the tendency to overindulge.
Happy hour snacks are the perfect complement if you want to maintain healthy alcohol limits. Veggie trays, fruit plates, cheese plates, and charcuterie boards are superb additions to any happy hour, encouraging your employees to take sizable sips and slowing alcohol intake over time. And let’s just say it — charcuterie boards are one of the rare employee appreciation food ideas that are classy to boot.
If you want a budget-friendly idea or celebrate your very own Employee Appreciation Week, snacks are an outstanding, versatile option. You can opt for sweet, savory, or even healthy snacks to line up with your tastes and initiatives. When a lunch or feast won’t do, snacks are employee appreciation food ideas that won’t backfire.
Light, airy, sweet — a better combination of tastes and textures doesn’t exist outside the donut. An office classic for decades, the donut is easy to transport, requires only a napkin, and comes in a huge array of flavors.
Though you can always go to Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, or Tim Horton’s, some of the best donuts are made locally. Use this employee food appreciation idea as a chance to improve employee morale and support local businesses simultaneously.
Healthy snacks as an employee appreciation food idea are likely to elicit a groan from your staff, but when done properly, they’re an attractive option that promotes wellness and nutrition.
No, you don’t have to bust out kale and Brussels sprouts. Instead, you can focus on foods that are healthy in moderation. Some of the best foods that are healthy or border on healthy include:
Landing the perfect Employee Appreciation Day food idea for fully distributed teams can seem like a logistical nightmare. With people across the globe, how do you show your appreciation through food?
That’s where Hoppier can help. Hoppier gift cards are available to send digitally in over 60 countries, allowing everyone to get the meal they want with ease. Here’s how it works:
Setting up a one-off or long-term food program or stipend is extraordinarily easy with Hoppier. Start by naming your program and then add your company colors and logo to the digital card. Then, choose a denomination for each card based on your budget and meal type.
You can also select an expiration date and/or specific vendors that align with your values — think health-food stores if you’re pushing employee wellbeing initiatives. With thousands of vendors, you ensure employees spend money only within your scope — or you can choose to let them use it like any other Visa card — making it perfect for perks and stipends.
After you make these decisions, send them to recipients in over 60 countries. Add your employee email addresses or upload a CSV, click submit, and the cards and instructions on how to use them are sent to their inbox.
If you choose an expiration date, any leftover money on the card goes back into your account, giving you some extra funding for your next round of reimbursements, stipends, or perks. Plus, you can track spending and card usage via the platform.
Eating a meal together and socializing is a great staff appreciation idea. But if you add employee engagement or a team-building activity, some of these interactive elements are a fun way to boost morale, build a cohesive company culture, and promote a positive work environment.
Lunch Roulette is an excellent tool if you want to keep the fun of employee meals rolling and increase camaraderie. Randomly pair two or more employees for meetups, meals, or coffee chats once a week or once a month. Everyone will get to know each other on a personal level, fostering another layer of communication and engagement.
Board games connect people in ways that other activities can’t. And with a sandwich or slice of pizza in hand, they allow employees to forget the workday — even for just a few hours.
The best board games for the office can vary depending on your industry or employees, but ones that require teamwork, critical thinking, and communication are ideal. Try Codenames, Scattergories, or Pictionary, just to name a few.
You don’t want to turn a meal into a meeting, but showing appreciation for work anniversaries, milestones, or top performers in your employee recognition program can bolster employee wellbeing.
Describe what each person did to deserve the recognition, provide a small appreciation gift, or name your employee of the month. When everyone’s well-fed, they’re more likely to participate in the fun. Plus, you might just increase employee retention and job satisfaction.
Check out these fun gift ideas for the perfect complement to employee recognition — no matter your budget.
Whether you’re putting your best employee appreciation food ideas on the table with onsite or remote employees, competition never goes out of style. Pub trivia, Jeopardy!, or a mishmash works on Zoom or in the office, allowing your staff to showcase their off-the-wall knowledge.
And to the victors go the spoils! Offer a sizable gift card to the winner(s) and provide small employee appreciation gifts or food gifts to those who finish below the top of the leaderboard.
Practical company swag always has a place in the office. From reusable water bottles to hoodies to coffee mugs, useful goods are the perfect pairing to your employee appreciation food ideas. Pair them with employee appreciation cards and quotes to bring your message of gratitude to the forefront.
Catering a meal for a few employees isn’t all that difficult, but the task becomes infinitely more cumbersome if you have a staff with dozens of people or a fully remote staff. If that represents your current situation, sidestep the issue with help from Hoppier.
Hoppier gift cards are a quick, effective way to give the gift of grub to your employees. Select an amount for each card, stylize it to your liking, and set an expiration date if necessary. You can then send each card to your employees’ email addresses.
Once your employees have e-gift cards, send out invitations for the feast and let everyone choose the meal they want. Whether you’re onsite or remote, Hoppier gift cards provide the perfect way to honor your employees with food everyone can enjoy — all while navigating dietary restrictions, specialized diets, and personal tastes.
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
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