Ordering lunch for an office meeting sounds straightforward until you are staring at an online cart trying to convert individual combos into platters for thirty coworkers. Order too little and the second half of the conference room gets left scraping the bottom of the fry tray; over-order without a plan and you end up with cold stacks nobody touches. Having a clear per-person formula turns corporate catering from guesswork into a five-minute checklist.
When teams search for dependable hot lunch catering near the office, Nash & Smashed stands out because our menu spans crispy hand-breaded poultry, seared-to-order smashed burgers, hearty Southern sides, and cold beverages under one roof. Every main protein travels in sturdy, vented packaging so crusts stay audible when boxes open in the breakroom.
The Core Per-Person Portion Formula
For a standard midday workday lunch where employees want a filling meal without hitting a mid-afternoon slump, aim for roughly six to eight ounces of cooked protein per person alongside two shared side portions and at least two dipping sauce options. In practical menu terms, use these benchmarks when building your cart:
- Whole-Muscle Chicken Tenders: Plan on 2.5 to 3 tenders per guest when tenders are the primary protein, or 1.5 tenders per guest when paired alongside burgers and wings.
- Bone-In Party Wings: Count 4 to 5 pieces per person as part of a mixed spread, since flats and drumettes disappear quickly when people grab seconds between slides.
- Boneless Chicken Bites: Budget 5 to 6 bites per person for effortless fork-free grazing during working sessions.
- Smashed Burgers & Chicken Sandwiches: Order 1 full burger or sandwich per guest, or cut halves across two styles so colleagues can sample both beef and chicken.
Ready-to-Use Blueprints by Headcount
Rather than multiplying single lunches one by one, scale your order with shared multi-piece boxes and balanced handhelds across four common office sizes:
- The 15-Person Sprint or Client Lunch: Combine two 12-piece Chicken Tenders boxes, two 16-piece Party Wings platters, six halved sandwiches (split between Golden Crunch and Original Nashville), two Pea Protein burgers for vegetarian teammates, five sides of Lattice Waffle Fries, four large cups of Mac & Cheese, and four orders of Corn Bread.
- The 30-Person Department All-Hands: Step up to four 12-piece Chicken Tenders boxes, three 16-piece Party Wings platters, two 12-piece Chicken Bites boxes, ten mixed smashed burgers (The Classic Bull and Oklahoma Smashed), three Pea Protein burgers, and generous trays of Waffle Fries, Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, and Pickle Bombs.
- The 50-Person Training Workshop: Anchor the table with five 12-piece Fried Chicken buckets, five 12-piece Chicken Tenders boxes, four 16-piece Party Wings platters, fifteen assorted burgers and sandwiches including Pea Protein options, plus balanced starch and vegetable-forward sides.
- The 100+ Person Quarterly Town Hall: Coordinate staggered hot batches through our contact page so fresh waves of tenders, bone-in chicken, smashed burgers, and hot sides arrive right as each department breaks for lunch.
Balancing Spice Levels and Dietary Preferences
Mixed office groups always include heat seekers sitting next to colleagues who avoid cayenne entirely. Never put the entire order at a single medium-hot spice tier. Instead, keep at least sixty percent of your shared chicken boxes in golden, zero-heat classic seasoning and designate clearly separated boxes for Nashville spice.
Put flavor customization in portion cups beside the plates. Lining up Signature Sauce, Hot Honey Sauce, Garlic Parmesan Sauce, Garlic Pepper Sauce, BBQ Sauce, and Honey Mustard lets every coworker dial in sweet heat, roasted garlic richness, or smoky tang on their own plate without slowing down the buffet line. Including Pea Protein smashed burgers—topped with melted American cheese, crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, pickles, and signature smashed sauce—ensures vegetarian team members enjoy a hot griddled meal rather than an afterthought salad.
Timing Pickup, Drinks, and Dessert
Schedule pickup or delivery at one of our neighborhood locations fifteen minutes before your meeting calendar slot begins so you have time to lay out napkins, tongs, and sauce cups cleanly. Round out the table with Mango, Peach, Passion Fruit, and Strawberry Smashed Blend Mojitos poured cold over lime and mint, plus sliced Turtle Cheesecake, Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake, or Orange Luxe cake when celebrating a team milestone.
Ready to lock in a hot, crowd-pleasing spread for your next workday gathering? Browse our local stores or Start Your Order online today.