Four Quick Ways Office Catering in Can Pull Off Your Fourth of July-Themed Lunch in Dallas Plano post from Lisa at C3.

It's 4th of July, and your Dallas, Plano or Frisco office would appreciate an amazing themed lunch delivery instead of the usual catering you always order, wouldn't they? It's hot outside, and everyone is thinking about vacations, so it would be a nice treat to theme your next catered lunch with a freedom-inspired menu. Maybe your boss or a co-worker just gave you the idea, or you just thought to make a 4th of July tie-in, and you're scrambling to get it done.

Think it would take month to plan, like a child's birthday party? Themed lunch catering doesn't have to be expensive or overdone to be effective, memorable, and delicious. It's easy to get overwhelmed by menu planning, when that's probably not what you were hired to do. Still, you're happy to do it, but it's tough to remember how many vegan plates to order and who's gluten-free, or just dairy-free.

It's entirely possible to pull off an amazing 4th of July-themed lunch in Dallas Plano or throughout the Dallas and Houston areas, and I'll share with you my four quick tips to getting it done, even just the day before. 

1. Plan a festive menu 

The funny thing is, you already know this. Think about what foods you will be eating on the 4th of July, probably at a BBQ or picnic. These are all things you can order from a caterer and have delivered to your office.

Let's start with fan favorites. Hamburgers and cheeseburgers. Even vegetarians have options for this American classic. If you're ordering them to arrive dressed, opt for standard lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles, but otherwise dry. It's easy to get caught up choosing between artichoke hearts or roasted red peppers, but those are add-ons that can be included for self-service, along with the staples of mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. This allows you to have a wide array of toppings and condiments, without serving burgers with things on them no one can pronounce.

And what about hot dogs? If that feels too casual, consider a hot dog bar, which can include chili or BBQ toppings, along with the sauerkraut, pickle relish, and staple condiments. Your caterer can provide vegan and vegetarian hot dogs, too. And don't forget the baked beans! 

Fried chicken is another 4th of July staple, along with potato salad, sliced watermelon, and slaw. You might also consider other picnic foods like deviled eggs, raw veggie snacks with creamy dressings, and platters of seasonal fruit. 

If the crowd is a little more into foodie faves, try adding sides like avocado spreads, specialty cheeses, and bacon to bring truly original flavors to the classic picnic and BBQ fare. And, if you're concerned about your gluten-free and bread-free eaters, it's possible to order gluten-free buns or serve bunless burgers and hotdogs on a bed of romaine. 

Finish up with pie! Either apple or cherry. If your grandmother's cherry pie is a family favorite, why not make it and share with your guests, with or without whipped cream on top.

This finger-licking-good menu will have everyone singing your praises for ordering food they actually want to eat.

2. Make food the decor

Another idea for your Fourth of July event is to decorate with food. Order foods that are red, white, and blue to bring a sense of the holiday without buying a lot of disposable decorations.

Look for Instagram-worthy fresh-baked cookies with red, white, and blue icing. Another good choice is Individual parfaits with yogurt or vanilla pudding with strawberries and blueberries show our flag's colors in style. Even rice crispy treats can be decorated with red, white, and blue sprinkles, or with blueberries and raspberries. And for the icing on the cake—red, white, and blue icing on the cake! 

We helped a client create a unique red, white, and blue dessert and custom-ordered strawberries dipped in red, white and blue sugar. Thinking outside the box doesn't have to be difficult, expensive, or take any more time than ordering anything else.

A simple red and white checkered tablecloth reminds your guests that you are celebrating picnic-style and those traditional prints bring back fond memories, as well as tying into the red, white, and blue theme when you use red and blue solo cups, and theme-colored napkins and plates. 

3. Go local

The best way to put a catered lunch together at the last minute is to work with a local caterer who's got quick access to independently-owned or local restaurant chains. This way, you're not boxed into the same repeated menu and can continually wow your team with amazing meals hand-picked for you.

Supporting local businesses also feels like part of the 4th of July experience. As much as possible, having food that's locally sourced or created in your town will inspire the meal as a celebration of American ingenuity. If that feels like a tall order on your corporate lunch, consider how easy it is to make one call to your local concierge and get it done. Corporate Concierge Catering partners with over 150 restaurants in the Dallas and Houston areas, and our partners are experts at delivering your perfect order on time.

Here are a few places to get you started:

Downtown Dallas-Plano- Frisco: 

Cowboy Chicken Catering

Celebrity Café & Bakery 

Fajita Pete's

Good Eats Menu

Grub Burger Catering

Super Chix

Soulman's BBQ Catering

Cool River Café

One90 Smoked Meat Catering

Top Dog Tacos - very creative hots dogs!

Cantina Laredo

Beyond the Box

Downtown Houston- Galleria- Greenway Plaza - Energy Corridor – The Woodlands

James Coney Island

Louisiana Fried Chicken

Hickory Hollow Restaurants and Catering

Red River BBQ Catering

Voss Kitchen

Grub Burger Catering

Brisket BBQ Catering

City View Catering

El Tiempo

Catering by George

The French Corner

Escalante's

Cowboy Chicken

4. Don't do it alone

The best way to manage this project is to employ the same project management skills that you would bring to any other office task. That means that a good leader will delegate. If putting together an entire menu and creating amazing red, white, and blue-themes desserts sounds like a team effort, well, it is. It's time to work with a catering concierge team. 

Here's your cheat sheet of what to prepare when working with your caterer:

a. Deciding on the menu: Consider all the requests for cuisines, dishes, and food requests so you can ask for menu items that will create the best meal to satisfy all the "musts" and most of the "pleases."

b. Placing the order: Know how many people to include in the order, the desired cuisine, and the delivery date, and one call to us does it all.

c. Asking for anything extra that you need or want: Have a list of all the special meal requests and questions about options for making food the décor.  

d. Getting firm answers to any request or questions: It's easy to lose track of emails asking questions about what can possibly be done, or to get a hypothetical answer and never make a clear decision. By working with us, all communication about your catering order will run smoothly.

e. Communicating special meal requests with the caterer: You wouldn't want to place an order online and never know for sure if the restaurant understood that you needed the BBQ sauce on the side because the boss is allergic, would you? Having a catering concierge is your best bet to have an advocate with the restaurant.

f. Confirming the delivery and that the order is correct: By having good relationships with the point-people within the restaurant we make sure you rest easily that your office lunch will be delivered exactly as planned, with all the 4th of July bells and whistles.

When you outsource this event, be sure to work with someone who understands you and can work with your budget. In most cases, the person choosing the menu isn't the person who chooses the price-per-person, but a skilled menu planner can help you create a memorable meal by giving people familiar foods they love, that evoke the 4th of July holiday atmosphere. 

You will want to have a knowledgeable menu planner who is already in conversation with a variety of restaurants that can provide the cuisine you're after. Why sift through pages of search results or create your own Excel spreadsheet to compare bids? Why resort to guessing how much to order and choosing the first three options you see instead of the ones that will satisfy the most needs for the most people? With the right catering concierge in Dallas, Plano and Frisco, as well as Houston and the surrounding areas, you can quickly go from being overwhelmed by choices to having a solid answer about who can deliver the food you want in the way you expect it. 

Believe it or not, we can do same day or day before planning with you. The Corporate Catering Concierge team is responsive and quick with those last-minute demands for inventive, fun menus, even around the 4th of July. We listen to your needs and get a sense of your office's culture and find the right food for you.

What other types of menus have you served for 4th of July office catering? What's your favorite go-to food for Independence Day Celebrations? Want to find a way to incorporate it you're your upcoming corporate lunch? Even if it's day-before or same-day, it's not too late to speak with us and see how we can give you peace of mind about your office lunch.

Let's talk!

Houston: 281.997.3345

Dallas: 972.207.4244