5 Work Lunch Ideas That Your Employees Will Actually Love

Take team lunch to new heights

As a company leader, you should always be looking for ways to increase productivity and morale. One of the best ways is providing food that keeps your team happy, well-fed and ready to meet their goals. That said, organizing office lunch ideas for a group—and trying to please employees with varying cultural backgrounds and dietary restrictions—can be quite a challenge. To make the brainstorming easier, we’ve rounded up five work lunch ideas that can make the lunch break a company perk.

5 work lunch ideas to boost morale & productivity

1. Encourage lunch breaks

It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the tasks at hand and skip meals, but that can negatively impact job performance. The first step in creating a morale-boosting lunch break is ensuring your employees actually take it

To do this, lead by example. No one wants to be the first to step away from their computers, but if the leadership team is doing it, that’s a sign that it’s okay to take a break. Invite members of your team to join you and provide tantalizing meal options to further encourage them. Make team lunches part of the company culture and foster the bonds that grow among employees. 

2. Think outside the (pizza) box

Almost everyone loves a spontaneous pizza party, but no one can survive on cheese and bread alone. There’s nothing wrong with an indulgent treat from time to time, but if you’re eating pizza or fast food every time you have lunch at the office, you’re setting your team up for headaches, sluggishness and other conditions that can negatively impact productivity. That’s why you should also brainstorm healthy office lunch ideas so you have alternatives on hand. 

Remember, “healthy” doesn’t just have to mean side salads. Fresh veggie and fruit trays, protein-packed meats, whole wheat pasta salad, grain bowls—there are plenty of delicious options to either order from local restaurants or keep stocked in the break room. As an added bonus, any employees with health-related dietary restrictions (more on that below) will appreciate having a variety of lunches to choose from.

3. Consider all dietary restrictions

Speaking of dietary restrictions, they can be difficult to navigate in an office setting. Vegans and vegetarians, different cultural backgrounds, allergies and health concerns—the bigger your business is, the more of these you’ll have to accommodate. Satisfying these different needs and preferences can be an enormous task, but you don’t want anyone to feel left out.

There are a few ways you can manage everyone’s tastes:

• Poll your team: Once a quarter, conduct a quick office poll to get a general idea of everyone’s favorites, as well as the things they can’t or won’t eat. It’s easier to plan a team lunch if you have this information already on hand, rather than trying to gather it in the moment.

• Provide a meal allowance: Rather than serving the food every time your team gets together, give employees a lunch budget and allow them to choose their own. That way, everyone gets exactly what they want without you having to worry about the details.

• Keep alternatives stocked: In the likely event that you can’t please everyone, it helps to have additional options on hand. Keep the break room freezer stocked with microwaveable meals so those who are passing on pizza this week can still join the group for a meal.

• Switch it up: Don’t order from the same place every time. Let your team members take turns choosing their favorite eateries. That could mean burgers one week, Thai food the next and going vegan the week after that—you might find a new favorite in the process!
  

4. Support local businesses

There’s no shortage of chain restaurants and fast food staples to choose from. While the familiar can be comforting, it’s also beneficial to support local eateries. When you shop local, more money goes back into your community’s economy, and it’s often a more environmentally friendly choice. On top of that, more than half of consumers actually prefer local restaurants to big chains, giving you an easy way to win over employees.

Best of all, you can incorporate several of the work lunch ideas on this list while patronizing businesses in your community. When you’re polling team members for food preferences and restrictions, ask for local recommendations. Keep a running list that employees can choose from when it’s their turn to pick the meal. You can also provide gift cards to these restaurants in lieu of lunch allowances, further encouraging your team to shop local.

5. Celebrate the big wins

Most of the time, work lunches are brisk and simple, giving employees just enough time to relax and recharge before getting back to their desks. Once in a while, though, it’s nice to go all out. When you’re celebrating huge milestones and accomplishments, it’s the perfect time to level up those work lunch ideas and show your team just how much you value them.

There are a few ways to go about this. You could have a catered luncheon just before the end-of-year holidays to go over everything your team has accomplished that year. You could also organize quarterly events where you’ll celebrate the most recent victories, from promotions to closed deals. Finally, you could surprise your team with good news and a good meal when they least expect it. Food has historically been at the center of cultural celebrations, so go ahead and start your own culinary traditions right in the office.

Boost the lunch break with Walmart Business

When it comes time to stock the break room with meals and snacks, Walmart Business can help. Our selection of fresh and frozen food options covers a variety of tastes and dietary restrictions, all shipped right to your office.

And if you’re already a customer, consider a Walmart Business+ membership for next-level savings—in some cases, over $500 a year!¹ Not only will you enjoy free shipping with no order minimum² and free delivery from local stores on orders over $35,³ you’ll also get 2% back in Walmart Business Rewards on purchases of $250 or more.⁴ Click here to get started.

¹ Savings based on 1 free $35+ delivery order vs. $9.95 fee and 1 free shipping order under $35 vs. $6.99 fee biweekly, plus 2% Walmart Business rewards on monthly orders >$250 (average value of $400).

² Excludes most Marketplace items, freight and certain location surcharges.

³ Restrictions apply.

⁴ Exclusions apply. See full terms for details.