Look, we all love pizza. But seriously. Do you want to be a meme this holiday season?
One of the best ways to bolster your branding efforts is to make sure your own employees, those who know your company’s operations intimately, feel valued. This might seem obvious and cliche, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Word of mouth marketing is still real. “It’s who you know,” like it or not, is still a large part of how business gets done. Relationships matter.
Lately social media has been flooded with posts about companies “thanking” their employees with pizza parties. Since none of us are in a middle school book club anymore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that pizza parties feel… a bit lacking.
At AKC, we have a monthly meeting with catered breakfast to update employees on what’s going on across the company. Providing breakfast makes the meeting a lot more fun. It’s hugely effective in keeping everyone rowing in the same direction, and it makes it so we’re not just all staring at each other over a cup of black coffee.
“But pizza is a crowd pleaser and is easy to order for a large, variable group!”
We get it. Things aren’t always easy. That’s why we’re here to help. To make NOT ordering pizza a little bit easier – here are our favorite places around the Des Moines metro to order catering for the office.
Bagel Platter
5 Borough Bagels
Our office manager handles most of our catering orders. Most of these recommendations come from her own experience supplying food to large groups of people. When it’s bagel day at AKC, she likes 5 Borough Bagels – it’s cost effective AND has a gluten-free option, even for bagels. They have locations in Urbandale and Clive, and yes, they also deliver.
French Toast Bar
McAlister’s Deli
There are McAlister’s Deli locations in Grimes, Des Moines and West Des Moines. You’ve probably been there for a sandwich, but did you know they also offer a french toast bar? Delivery is an option, and they take same day orders on catering. We also love their potato bar!
Falafel, Gyros and Kebabs
Fresh Mediterranean
Fresh has one location in the metro, close to The Palms IMAX movie theater in Waukee. Their catering team is full of very sweet people who are easy to work with. They cater office meals for pick-up or delivery and also have a nice prepared dinner package for a family of 4-5.
Tacos
Flame: The Taqueria
This spot is an office favorite of ours. It’s located in Johnston, fits any kind of dietary needs, and has the best street tacos/queso/guacamole. Plus their homemade chips are fire. Yes, they deliver, and, trust us, you can’t go wrong with the birria tacos! If you’re slightly outside Des Moines, this business has a second location in Bondurant. They were recently named the best tacos in Iowa on Yelp!
Literally anything, but don’t forget it’s soup season
Gateway Market
Gateway Market is closer to downtown for those who work near the city’s center. Their catering menu is HUGE, and it’s hard to go wrong with anything they offer. Don’t ignore the filling and delicious soup options from Gateway Market, especially during the holiday season when people tend to fill up on office treats. Their tomato bisque is the best… anywhere. We’ve also got to shout out the tortilla soup. They have huge commercial catering contracts with institutions like Iowa State University and Hoyt Sherman Place, so they do require advance notice.
Breakfast, especially the Monster Energy balls.
Main Street Cafe
This is our favorite spot to order from if there are a lot of gluten-free employees joining in for a meal or party. There are “sooo many” catering packages for breakfast and lunch, according to our office manager. They ask for orders 48 hours in advance, and it’s always a hit when we order from here. Main Street Cafe delivers, and they are located in Ankeny. This is also a great spot to take a look at the soups!
If you MUST order pizza, go local and support our friends over at Dough Co., located in Des Moines near Drake University in the Dogtown business district. Their menu is very affordable and features both gluten free and vegan options.