buying decent food for a crowd cheap

D

daria19

CAGiversary!
So I have to cater a lunch meeting for work in april, no big deal but the company is cheap about this and will only allow me to spend about $3-4 a person. We usually get pizza or the cheapest Chinese food that is available. I found a reasonably priced small local deli the last time and was able to get sandwiches (plus got some loss leader snack foods from the local grocery), but the sandwiches were kind of unweildy for me to carry (6' long each) by myself and I want to do something different.

Anyway, do you guys have any suggestions for something else that could be tried (either local place around new haven CT area or a chain restaurant that has reasonably nice food), besides trying to convince the company to not be so cheap? I need to be able to get part of the order as vegetarian friendly as well.

Ordering a bunch of food from taco bell, although this is tempting, would probably not do wonders for my career since the senior level management may be present at the meeting (these guys have probably not had fast food in decades because they are too used to their wine and cheese parties).
 
So let me get this right; $4 bucks a person, lunch, and your in New England. That means your fucked. I really can't think of anything that you have not named. What about Pasta?
 
[quote name='Graystone']So let me get this right; $4 bucks a person, lunch, and your in New England. That means your fucked. I really can't think of anything that you have not named. What about Pasta?[/QUOTE]

The deli also had pasta, but I was worried that it might get messy. I will probably just get the usual, but figured that someone might have an idea that I wouldn't have thought of.

Making it myself would be a pain since it is around 50 people (and I have a small apartment kitchen), I would rather just give them pizzas at that point.

Thanks for the suggestions...
 
You could try to find a Deli that delivers and is willing to make up a party platter of subs cut into 3 inch pieces, that way you can buy less food but make it appear that you brought more.
 
Some burger kings have $1 whoopers during 5-8pm to sell overexcess food.The line is always long,I always see people order at least 5 or more whoopers,some people order 30.
 
Senior level management attending and they allot $3-4 per person for lunch. Nice. Is that a company wide policy for all 'catered' lunches or something decided by your boss or what?

I was thinking Baja as well humi, but I don't think you could do it for $4 per person. But as you say they do catering, so you might be able to get a couple platters of tacos for your price range. Worth checking out I think, if there's one around you.
 
Try going to Costco or Sam's Club (if you or the company is a member) and getting some deli meat trays or sandwich trays. They are reasonably priced.
 
[quote name='daria19']The deli also had pasta, but I was worried that it might get messy. I will probably just get the usual, but figured that someone might have an idea that I wouldn't have thought of.

Making it myself would be a pain since it is around 50 people (and I have a small apartment kitchen), I would rather just give them pizzas at that point.

Thanks for the suggestions...[/QUOTE]

It doesn't get messy if you eat it the Cincinnati way. That is cut the pasta with you fork and eat small bites.
 
Here's what you need to figure out.

How many people?
Can you get to BJ/Sam's Club any big warehouse shopping place where you can get bulk food?
Do you feel like you could do this yourself with a little guidence?

Let's use this as a jump off then we can see where you go from there.
 
[quote name='2poor']Go to Wendy's. You could get 3 items for every person. Everyone loves chicken nuggets.[/QUOTE]

definetly, cept they aren't too filling. Me and my friend are going to see who can eat 80 of them first, loser has to pay for the other's meal.

Personally I'd go with the costco pizza. Hella big for $10.
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']Here's what you need to figure out.

How many people?
Can you get to BJ/Sam's Club any big warehouse shopping place where you can get bulk food?
Do you feel like you could do this yourself with a little guidence?

Let's use this as a jump off then we can see where you go from there.[/QUOTE]

1. Around 50 people

2. I don't think that they would care where I got the food, as long as I had the receipts. I have a costco membership, so that is not a problem.

3. I have never cooked for anywhere near that many people before. Keeping the food hot (or cold) and safe to eat would be a real issue, the meeting is at around 11:45 and I would need to bring the food in around 7 AM. We have a really tiny microwave oven at work, and dorm size fridges. The fridges are usually packed as it is (and are kind of nasty at times from abandoned food being left there), and I have to refrigerate a bunch of 2L bottles of soda for this as it is.

Given the lack of facilities, I will probably just grab another sub or pizza. I forgot about costco pizza...thanks for mentioning that. We have one not far from work. (Their cakes are really good and cheap if anyone has to deal with ordering a cake for a crowd!)

The sub place does cut the sandwich into 1 1/2" pieces so the last one did look like alot of food when I first got it, but that doesn't slow these guys down...they just take more food.

wubb: no Baja or humi around here. Yea, they are being cheap about this, especially considering that the managers would probably think nothing of spending my budget for 50 on a fancy dinner for 4 of them (and I'm sure that my budget would be much higher if I were in another department instead of research)...

I am going to talk with my boss to see if I can get approved for a higher $ amount since he delegated this to me in the first place. It is the people above him that are being cheap.

Thanks to all for suggestions....
 
[quote name='fatbeer']Some burger kings have $1 whoopers during 5-8pm to sell overexcess food.The line is always long,I always see people order at least 5 or more whoopers,some people order 30.[/QUOTE]

I loves me a good whooper.
 
I can't believe I forgot about this. Find a fried chicken joint that will cater. Everyone loves fried chicken. Fried chicken is the original picnic food, It has to work.

Get like 50 pieces on the bone and then 100 or so chicken fingers, and sides.
 
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