Planning a Holiday Office Party on Oahu? Food Ideas for Your Team

Oct 18, 2026 · Aloha Salads

Planning a workplace holiday celebration in November or December? Whether you're organizing an end-of-year appreciation lunch, a casual office gathering, or a team celebration before the holiday break, choosing the food is one of the biggest decisions.

The menu needs to work for different preferences, fit your gathering space, and make it easy for coworkers to enjoy a meal together.

If you're exploring holiday office party catering on Oahu, salad trays and sandwich platters are worth considering, especially for a casual event where people can serve themselves.

At Aloha Salads, our catering menu includes signature salad trays, a sandwich platter, and pita bread trays. These selections can help you put together a group meal without relying entirely on traditional holiday dishes.

Here's how to plan a menu that works for your team.

1. Start With the Kind of Holiday Celebration You're Hosting

Not every office holiday party needs a formal dinner. For many workplaces, a relaxed gathering during the workday gives employees an opportunity to catch up and celebrate the year's accomplishments.

Before choosing the menu, think about how your team will be eating.

Holiday gathering	Food planning approach
End-of-year appreciation lunch	Combine sandwich platters and salad trays for a shared meal.
Casual office potluck	Add salad trays alongside dishes coworkers are bringing.
Afternoon team celebration	Consider a smaller selection of sandwiches and salads, depending on attendance.
Department holiday gathering	Choose different salad styles to accommodate varied preferences.
Year-end office open house	Consider food that guests can select during the gathering, with serving arrangements planned in advance.

The key is to match the food to the event rather than choosing a menu simply because it's the holiday season.

For example, if coworkers are bringing their own favorite holiday dishes, a salad tray can add something fresh to the table. If you're organizing the entire meal, pairing sandwiches with multiple salad selections may make more sense.

One challenge with workplace catering is that employees don't always want the same type of meal.

Some prefer something hearty, while others enjoy lighter salad combinations. Offering more than one choice helps everyone find something that appeals to them.

Our catering menu includes several options that work well together.

Sandwich Platters for a Casual Team Meal

CATERING MENU HIGHLIGHT

Sandwich Platter

Includes a choice of six sandwiches.

A sandwich platter is worth considering when you want a more substantial option alongside salads.

Sandwiches can also suit a casual gathering where employees prefer selecting food from a shared table rather than sitting down for a plated meal.

For a larger group, ask your selected Aloha Salads location how many platters to order and which sandwich choices are currently available for catering.

Salad Trays That Bring Different Flavors to the Table

Our catering menu includes several signature salads with different ingredients and dressings.

Here are some options to consider for your holiday office gathering.

Catering selection	Published price	What makes it different
Aloha Passion Tray	$42	Fruit, blue cheese, candied walnuts, and passion orange vinaigrette
The Paniolo Tray	$42	Avocado, corn, black beans, cheddar, and BBQ ranch
Aloha Mediterranean Tray	$42	Feta, olives, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, and Mediterranean dressing
Aloha Caesar with Chicken Tray	$45	Romaine, parmesan, croutons, Caesar dressing, and chicken
Mandarin Ginger Tray	$52	Chicken, mandarin oranges, almonds, wontons, and Asian ginger dressing
Kamuela Cobb Tray	$55	Chicken, bacon, egg, avocado, blue cheese, and herb ranch
Ono Island Ahi Tray	$60	Ahi tuna, mango, avocado, strawberries, coconut, and passion orange vinaigrette

Prices reflect the published Aloha Salads catering menu and may change. Confirm current pricing, item availability, and order details with your selected location.

For a team with different tastes, consider choosing trays with contrasting ingredients.

For example, the Aloha Mediterranean and The Paniolo offer different combinations of vegetables and dressings, while the Kamuela Cobb and Mandarin Ginger include chicken.

The Ono Island Ahi is another option for teams interested in ahi. We use fresh, local, never-frozen ahi supplied through a Honolulu seafood company.

You can learn more about our food and sourcing on our Aloha Salads website.

You don't need a long list of dishes to create variety.

A practical approach is to choose a few selections that serve different purposes on the table.

Here are three illustrative menu combinations using our published catering selections.

When comparing combinations, consider what other food will be served and whether the event is intended to replace a full meal.

For example, a team appreciation lunch may call for more substantial food than a gathering where employees are contributing potluck dishes.

4. Plan for Different Food Preferences Before Ordering

Office teams often include people with different food preferences or ingredient concerns.

A little planning before placing your catering order can help you choose a more useful mix of dishes.

Consider these steps:

Ask about preferences early. Find out whether coworkers prefer sandwiches, salads, or a combination.
Review ingredient lists. Our salads contain different combinations of cheese, nuts, seafood, meat, and dressings.
Include contrasting selections. Pairing a vegetable-focused salad with a chicken-based tray gives employees different choices.
Check specific dietary requirements directly. If someone has a food allergy or other dietary restriction, contact the restaurant before ordering rather than assuming a tray will meet their needs.
Consider the rest of the menu. If the office is already providing desserts and holiday favorites, choose catering items that complement those dishes.

For employees with strict dietary requirements, confirming ingredients and preparation considerations directly with the selected restaurant is especially important.

5. Make Your Holiday Catering Order Easier to Organize

Holiday office celebrations often involve more moving parts than a regular team lunch.

Employees may be taking time off, departments may be celebrating on different dates, and the event might take place outside your usual lunch schedule.

Before finalizing your catering selections, confirm these details.

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Holiday catering made easy · Fresh salads & trays across Oahu

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<h1>Holiday Catering Planning Checklist</h1>

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One important consideration is ordering ahead.

Our catering menu lists available tray selections, but serving quantities, advance-order requirements, and holiday scheduling details should be confirmed directly with the restaurant.

If you're organizing a gathering near Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year's, check availability for your specific date rather than assuming regular operating hours apply.

6. Choose the Right Aloha Salads Location for Your Office

Aloha Salads has six restaurant locations on Oahu, making it useful to identify the store that best fits your workplace before discussing a catering order.

Location	Contact number
Kailua Shopping Center	(808) 262-2016
Kahala Mall	(808) 735-8334
Windward Mall, Kaneohe	(808) 234-6414
Kapolei Commons	(808) 692-9829
Mililani Town Center	(808) 623-1122
Pearlridge Center	(808) 484-7811

You can explore our restaurant locations and contact the store you plan to order from.

When speaking with the restaurant, have your preferred event date, approximate headcount, and initial catering selections ready.

This gives the team a clearer starting point for discussing your order.

7. A Fresh Addition to Your Year-End Celebration

Holiday office parties don't have to revolve around traditional holiday dishes.

For some teams, a shared lunch with familiar sandwiches and colorful salad trays may be a better fit for the workplace than a formal catered dinner.

At Aloha Salads, we've been serving Oahu since 2006. Our menu includes salads, wraps, subs, and catering selections that give workplace organizers several ways to put together a group meal.

Whether you're planning a November appreciation lunch or a December team gathering, start with the food your coworkers will enjoy and confirm the practical details before ordering.