Consider a Professional Caterer

• One advantage of going with a professional caterer is the diversity of food selection. If your office wishes for French cuisine one day and Italian food the next, you can call in the same caterer for both those options and more. The alternative would be to make orders at a French and Italian restaurant respectively, hoarding menus for different local restaurants in your desk drawer. While it's always useful to compile local restaurant menus just in case, take a look at different professional caterers. Ask other office workers if they use professional caterers and which ones they would recommend. Call a variety of professional caterers and ask for menus.
  
  

Taking Orders and Good Communication

• When taking orders, always write down the person's name and selection from the menu. An easy way to compile orders for employees with Gmail accounts is to make a shared Google Doc spreadsheet and send a mass email. This way, each person can type in what they want within the Google Doc and save it on the Google server, which you can access and print out. This saves the hassle of hustling around the office from person to person, taking orders by yourself. Also, make sure to communicate these orders clearly with the restaurant or caterer, making clear any special exceptions to orders. If the order is to be delivered, let them know what time it needs to arrive. Make your order well before lunch time, as it may take the restaurant or caterer as long as 45 minutes to prepare or deliver.
  
  

Budgeting

• Most of the time, the person placing the lunch order in a corporate office isn't the one footing the bill. Before placing your lunch order, make sure you have the budget to place a large lunch order. If not, you may have to consider less expensive lunch options, such as a chain restaurant. When placing the order, have the company credit card on hand so you can recite all of the vital credit card information, such as the number, expiration date and name. Make sure you get permission to sign off on the credit card if it isn't in your name.
  
  

Double Check

• If you are picking up an office lunch order at the restaurant, always double check the order. Make sure the restaurant has labeled all of the individual orders, preferably with each employee's name on each order (you may need to specify this when you order). If it doesn't have the person's name, the label should at least have the name of the food item and any special exceptions, such as "avocado burger, no sauce, no onions." If the restaurant makes an error in the order, point this out politely so it can be fixed as soon as possible.