As many companies are looking to transition into a hybrid or in-person workplace, business leaders may be looking for different company event ideas to help bring teams together.

Consider hosting a happy hour for your teams as they make their way back into the office. Depending on the company size, you can choose to segment the happy hour at the organization, department or team level.

Check out these five tips for making  your office happy hour a company celebration that’s fun and ideal for strengthening your team.

1. Pick a theme

Once you’ve decided when you want to schedule your office happy hour, consider including a theme for the event. While a theme isn’t a requirement, it can add an additional element of excitement. You can get creative with themed decorations and food delivery ideas, and employees can wear attire that suits the overall concept.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Seasonal themes like a beach party to celebrate the start of summer
  • Holiday themes such as Christmas in July or Halloween
  • Themes inspired by an upcoming project launch
  • Happy hours honoring a specific decade or popular TV shows
  • Tie-ins to upcoming major sporting events

2. Order a variety of food and snacks

A company happy hour isn’t complete without food! When deciding what to order, be sure to keep in mind any allergies or dietary restrictions your team members may have.

For some inspiration, check out Grubhub’s Taste of 2021 to see what dishes and drinks your team might enjoy the most:

  • Detroit deep-dish pizza is a fan favorite. Order pies with a variety of toppings (you can even find restaurants with vegan and gluten-free options) and you have an affordable way to feed a crowd.
  • Margaritas are so popular that they were among the top five orders placed by Grubhub customers in 2021 — the only beverage to make the list.
  • You can also consider having a taco bar for your office happy hour with chips, salsa, and guacamole on the side.

Take the stress out of your happy hour planning by catering with Grubhub. With a Grubhub Corporate Account, you can preorder meals in advance of your happy hour and even filter for restaurants that will individually box everyone’s meal.

3. Plan some activities

Consider including some activities during your happy hour to help break the ice.

Some ideas include:

  • Bingo
  • Digital or real-world scavenger hunts
  • Trivia style song competitions
  • Escape room-style puzzles
  • Murder mystery games
  • Trivia night
  • Open-mic night
  • Paint-and-sip hour
  • Community volunteering endeavors, such as filling backpacks for school kids or sorting food donations
  • Workstation/desk decoration contest

You can even offer prizes at the end of activities. Some options include branded company swag like water bottles and tote bags to bigger ticket items like an iPad.

4. Include hybrid and remote employees too

With all the video-conferencing software and team-building apps available today, it’s easy to include remote and hybrid workers in an office happy hour.

Use Grubhub’s individual meal perks to give at-home employees an easy way to order their own happy hour treats. Then have them dial in to participate in any games or activities taking place in the office. In this way, you can help to integrate all members of the team, no matter where they sit.

5. Ask for feedback and involve staff in event planning and execution

Perhaps the best way to ensure you’re throwing an office happy hour everyone will love is to include your team in the planning and execution. Ask for volunteers for the event planning committee and, if possible, include employees that represent different departments and come from varying levels on the employment ladder.

Encourage attendees to give feedback — either in person or anonymously — to get a feel for which themes and activities are most popular and what employees would like to see next.

Upgrade your next office happy hour with your Grubhub Corporate Account

A corporate ordering solution like Grubhub can make catering your next office happy hour a simple, stress-free and cost-effective option. Contact us today to see how Grubhub can work for your teams.