An office potluck can be a lot of fun for everyone who participates. It’s great to get the team together to share a nice hearty lunch at the office. Here are a few tips before, during and after to make your next office potluck a success.Before:
1) Be Organized, Stay Organized
Create a list of items everyone plans to bring a few weeks before the office potluck. Having a list people sign up to bring items can eliminate multiples of the same dish. Use the list to create labels of different dishes that everyone signed up to bring. Post-it notes are an easy way to label everything. Consider including if there are any ingredients people may be allergic to, such as peanuts or shellfish etc. Creating a list and labels will help others know what dishes are available and help you stay organized.
2) Encourage Bringing "Family Favorites"
While the list is circling around the office encourage everyone to plan to bring their best dish or a family favorite. This is a great way to have everyone contribute to the potluck. A family favorite dish could be a special recipe passed down from generation to generation. Or it could simply be a dish your family exclaims is the best dish you’ve prepared for them.
During :
3) Have Fun
We spend a ton of time with our “office family” with 40 hour work weeks. However, having conversations that are not about work can be a challenge for some people. You can make your office potluck fun and avoid talking about work. Consider preparing a few trivia games and offering small prizes to the winners. The trivia games can be a holiday theme or the theme of your party. Having a little fun will certainly help your next office potluck be a success.
4) Eliminate the Awkward Silence
It can be awkward if it’s eerily quiet while everyone is eating. Sometimes it can be so silent you could hear a pen drop. An easy fix is to play upbeat music to make it light and bubbly. Your background music could be from a local radio station or a prepared playlist. Having music can help you create a great atmosphere at your potluck.
After:
5) Keep It Clean
Consider having disinfectant spray available to wipe tables before and after the potluck. As well as ensure hand sanitizer is available to keep your hands clean. Additionally, it is a good idea to have a spill kit available in case anyone drops their plate or spills a drink. Your spill kit can include paper towels, a caution sign, a Swiffer or a mop, gloves, disinfectant spray and any other helpful items.
We have items you may need to help make your next office potluck a success. From plates, napkins and plasticware to snacks, sodas, sparkling water and even serving spoons. As well as cleaning supplies for after the potluck. Please consider exploring our breakroom services today.
We hope you make your next office potluck a success with these helpful tips and share with your friends or coworkers on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. Do you have any tips for successful office potlucks? Please share in the comments below.