Kicking Off the Semester with Martin's Catering
Most of the collaborations I've done through Relay have involved going somewhere new, but this one gave me the opportunity to bring the experience directly to my office.
Through another collaboration with Relay Pittsburgh, I partnered with Martin's Catering to plan a catered lunch for my coworkers as we kicked off the start of another fall semester. Rather than planning a large event or elaborate gathering, I wanted to use the opportunity to do something simple for the people I work with every day.
It ended up being one of the easiest collaborations I've done. From coordinating everything over email to having the food delivered and set up for us, Martin's Catering made the entire process incredibly simple. All we really had to do when lunchtime came around was leave our offices, grab a plate, and enjoy it together.
Planning an Office Lunch
When I first started thinking about what I wanted to do with this collaboration, an office lunch immediately felt like a natural fit. August is always a transition point on a college campus. Even though we don't work directly with students, it's still a busy time for us as the quieter pace of summer disappears, events pick back up, and another academic year gets underway. A catered lunch felt like a simple way to mark that transition and give everyone an opportunity to get together before the semester became even busier.
I also liked being able to highlight catering on a smaller scale. When I think about hiring a caterer, my mind usually goes to weddings, showers, parties, and other larger events. This experience was a good reminder that catering doesn't have to mean planning something huge. Sometimes it can simply mean making lunch a little easier and a lot more enjoyable for an office.
An Incredibly Easy Planning Process
One of the biggest things I wanted to highlight through this collaboration was how easy Martin's Catering made the entire process. Almost everything was coordinated through email. I worked directly with the catering manager to discuss the lunch, our group, and what would work best for the office. Communication was easy throughout the entire process, and I never felt like planning a relatively small lunch needed to become a complicated project.
There was also an unexpected personal connection during those conversations. I learned that the catering manager had previously spent more than 20 years working in university alumni relations, fundraising, donor relations, and similar areas, which is the same professional world I work in now. Of all the things I expected to talk about while coordinating a catering collaboration, comparing notes about advancement work definitely wasn't one of them.
Once the day arrived, the experience was just as easy. The food was brought to our office and set up for us, and everything we needed was provided. There wasn't a last-minute scramble to figure out serving pieces or organize the food ourselves. Martin's handled the setup, which meant I could focus on taking a few photos and videos before everyone came out for lunch.
What's for Lunch?
And, of course, the most important part of catering is the food. Our menu included Chicken Romano; hot sausage with peppers and onions; Parmesan smashed red potatoes; green beans almondine; tossed salad with ranch and Italian dressing; and rolls with butter.
It was a great spread for an office lunch because there was plenty to choose from without feeling like we had ordered an overwhelming amount of different food. Everything was delicious, there was plenty for everyone, and it made the office smell very good by the time lunch rolled around.
Because the menu was a surprise, it was especially satisfying to finally see everything come together after spending the previous few weeks emailing back and forth and figuring out the details. Planning had been simple, delivery and setup were handled for us, and the food lived up to the experience I'd had working with Martin's beforehand.
Getting Everyone Together
My favorite part of the lunch had very little to do with creating content. Once everything was ready, everyone came out of their offices, enjoyed a group lunch, and had a chance to talk before the semester got busy.
The lunch also gave me an opportunity to introduce my coworkers to the work I do as a "content creator." I don't love the terms "content creator" and "influencing," but this experience helped me explain how content creation has become a modern form of marketing that more businesses are exploring.
Creating content in my own office was also different from documenting an unfamiliar venue or event. The story was simple: what we ordered, how easily it arrived and was set up, and how everyone enjoyed it together. The process was easy, the food was great, and the lunch gave everyone a reason to step away from work and connect. It also showed how creator partnerships can introduce people to a business in a natural, personal way.
Final Thoughts
This collaboration with Martin's Catering ended up being a perfect way to kick off the fall semester. From my first emails about planning the lunch to having everything delivered and set up in our office, the process was genuinely easy. The food was delicious, there was plenty for everyone, and having everything taken care of meant we could simply enjoy lunch together.
More than anything, I appreciated being able to turn a creative collaboration into something my coworkers could enjoy too. Watching everyone come out of their offices, fill their plates, and sit down together made the experience feel like more than content I needed to create. It was simply a really nice lunch with the people I spend so much of my week with.
Based in Perryopolis, Martin's Catering offers catering for weddings, baby showers, graduations, and more, and travels throughout Pittsburgh, Morgantown, WV, and even as far as State College. Learn more and inquire about catering at Martin's Catering's website.