Norton School FCS Promoting Healthy and Cost Saving Meals & Refreshments GOAL: To provide cost effective and healthy food for breakfast and lunch meetings and receptions  When planning an event consider the following:  Budget?  What type of group will be attending (internal or external)?  Approximately how people will be attending?  Consider a menu – possibly fresh fruit for meetings instead of cookies, adding a tossed salad (purchase bagged lettuce, spinach with tomatoes and mushrooms) or fruit (berries, grapes, etc.) to add to a catered sandwich tray versus purchasing side salads. Purchase a large bag of chips or pretzels for family style serving versus individual servings.  Beverages – provide water and coffee only (ordering beverages and chips from caterer very expensive and is an easy cost to eliminate). Consider purchasing several cases of water to have on hand for event purposes in your specific area.  Paper goods can be purchased in bulk and stored in your specific area. The fourth floor Research Commons has several serving plates, bowls, and other utensils which are available for your use. Please feel free to use these items. When finished, please return them to the original location for the next event. (Note: There may be instances that it would be best to pull the paper goods provided by a particular caterer and use those that you have on hand. That way all of the plates, etc. will match. Save unused for items for future events.) Alternative Catering Options Most Costly  Paradise Bakery and Jimmy John’s – (If you use them ask them to cut sandwiches into quarters) and provide sides from grocery store or Costco (beverages, chips, salads or cookies)  When using UA Student Union Catering, use a ratio of either 3:1 or 4:1 when determining number of portions to order. Catering tends to prepare extremely large food portions. Best Alternative  Safeway – Pick up deli trays (sandwich, vegetable, fruit).  Costco – (You must have a membership card and be reimbursed.) Good Alternative  Baggin’s (delivery available) – order .50 or .75 sandwiches/person. Cookies are included.  Papa John(delivery available) – UA Dining Card  Oriental Express – order several dishes and request family style servings – use paper goods from division/department supply  Pei Wei – call ahead and easy pick‐up area at restaurant. Pei Wei Salads are a nice alternative to sandwiches for small lunch group 5/24/11 Purchasing Food for Events  Dining Card ‐ if using a vendor at the Student Union, ask if they will accept the Departmental dining card (Papa John’s does)  Buy out of pocket and get reimbursed – submit the appropriate completed form and your receipt to business office for reimbursement Cost/Person Lunch or Breakfast:  Internal $5‐8/person  External $7‐12/person Refreshment/Snack  $3‐$4/person Note:  If event attendees are from out of town, they tend to stay at the event and appreciate having a catered lunch. However, if the attendees are from campus, they tend to return to their offices or visit area restaurants. 5/24/11