The isolation of lockdown left everybody feeling a little detached. It’s been an adjustment returning to work and reuniting with coworkers. A happy hour event at the office is an excellent opportunity to reunite old friends face to face and introduce newcomers. Teammates can focus on their work friends and reestablish bonds that may have diminished during their remote work days. Studies have shown that interaction significantly impacts engagement and job fulfillment.
Drinks alone may do the trick, but bringing in food for your happy hour event will give it that added something – snacks or finger food are the perfect complements to after-work cocktails. Here, we present ideas to enhance your happy hour experience with some delicious eats and tasty treats.
Hors d’oeuvres
If you’re looking to class up your soiree, do it in European style. Your workers can pluck finger foods from trays as they socialize and sip on their favorite cocktails ? With such aperitifs as deviled eggs, bruschetta, canapes, and bacon-wrapped salmon, there’s no limit to the edibles you can present on serving platters. If you want to jazz it up, Thriver works with several providers that offer waitstaff services that’ll pass around drinks and your hors d’oeuvres.
Browse the marketplace for extra help.
Taco time
It’s team taco time. Seasoned meat, cheese, and choice of veggies on corn or flour tortillas are a favorite in offices everywhere. You don’t need a happy hour to enjoy tacos, but they will surely enhance any after-hours get-together. The best thing about tacos is they can satisfy just about any dietary requirement. Gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian coworkers can make up a plate with their favorite fixins and enjoy their happy hour vittles with everyone else.
Browse our best taco caterers here.
Ice cream treats
When it’s summertime, beat the heat with frozen treats. At any other time of the year, ice cream is the perfect little something for teammates to chill while socializing and partake in cocktails. You can get your cold confections in any number of ways – from cones to cups, on a stick or as an ice cream bar. With so many sorbets and non-dairy alternatives, your vegan work friends have plenty of options to enjoy.
Book this ice cream experience for your next happy hour.
Appetizers galore
You can’t go wrong with a happy hour snack idea like this. Fill serving platters with deep-fried finger foods, like mozzarella sticks, mini tacos, and breaded mushrooms. Trays are sure to be empty when the event is over, making for easy cleanup.
Find and book appetizer catering here.
Pizza
A pizza party is always popular, whether drinks are involved or not. Pizza is a staple of office get-togethers everywhere. With so many styles of crust and toppings available, there is sure to be something that will fit every taste and dietary need.
Find a pizza caterer for your next event here.
Peanuts, pretzels, and chips
Crunchy, salty snacks are a simple, easy-to-grab happy hour food idea. Few foods offer the variety these classic snacks can give you. With flavors from original to innovative options like pizza or chipotle, setting out various fan favorites like these will keep your team’s cravings at bay while they socialize. Whether you set them out as a stand-alone option or complement a more extensive food selection, these are sure to be a hit.
Full meal catering
If you want your happy hour to be more of an event than a simple get-together, why not give your staff a full meal to accompany their drinks? Cater in hot sandwiches or elegant Mediterranean fare. If barbecue is up your team’s alley, call in a grill master to fill their plates with pulled pork or brisket. A full meal and belly are sure to make any after-work soiree memorable.
Check out Thriver catering options for ideas on more easy-to-order happy hour food ideas for your office – as stand-alone edibles, complete meals, or for something to go along with your salty snacks.
Charcuterie trays
You may want to go with something simple and easy to grab, with crackers, sliced meat, and cheese. Happy hour is a party, after all, and charcuterie platters are always a hit at parties. Add a veggie tray to the mix for an inclusive edible arrangement, with vegan and vegetarian-friendly dips and sauces for extra flavoring.
Pita, naan, and hummus
Tray up some quartered flatbreads and layout hummus for an uncomplicated Mediterranean twist to your happy hour. It’s quick, healthy – and it’s tasty. Consider spicing up your aperitif with olives, feta, diced onion, and tomato chunks. The hummus will hold the tasty bits onto the bread while you munch, sip, and socialize.
Party sub
Call in six feet (roughly two meters) of stacked cheese, cold cuts, and condiments. Oversized sandwiches – cut into manageable slices, of course – have been a happy hour favorite for decades. There’s something endearing about a party sub that just makes a person smile before digging in – perhaps it’s the fact that you’re looking at a sandwich as long as most people are tall.
Browse some of the best sandwich catering options here.
Finger sandwiches
Sandwiches don’t need to be outrageously oversized to put a smile on your face. Cute, little finger sandwiches are easy to manage, bite-sized stacks of goodness. They’re a dinner party staple that fits perfectly into an office happy hour get-together.
Happy hour fun doesn’t begin and end with food and drinks. Check out our ideas for happy hour games to add even more life to an office get-together.
Work isn’t all fun and games, but no doubt bringing some fun to the workplace enables your team to feel more at ease on the job. A little enjoyment gives employees a reason to keep returning to work over and above a simple paycheck. Give your staff a fun, after-work diversion on a Friday night with a happy hour affair. It will help your group feel more relaxed at work and give them time to get to know each other.
