Fall is the ideal season for planning a corporate event. The weather in New York is as close to perfect as weather ever is, and the fiery colors outdoors are magnificent. Everyone welcomes the chance to let their hair down a little as the year winds to a close, and harvesting time opens up a host of catering and theme possibilities. 

If you’re planning a business meeting, employee appreciation event, trade show exhibit or other  corporate event in New York, New Jersey, Westchester, Long Island or Connecticut for this fall and are browsing around for inspiration, look no further. We’ve put together a short but punchy list of our favorite crowd-pleasing fall themes for corporate events, complete with ideas for activities, catering and décor.

Savor some vintages.

Wine experts tell us that full-bodied whites and light- to medium-bodied reds should be relished in the fall. 

Activity ideas: Plan a cheese-and-wine evening, a fancy sit-down dinner (we recommend doing this if your guest list is minimal as catering costs can pile up) or recruit an expert to enlighten everyone on the finer points of what they’re enjoying.

Catering suggestions: make wine the star of the show by serving some well-planned pairings. Ask your wine vendor for specific dishes or delicacies that pair beautifully with the wine you’ll be serving.

Décor key points: rich dark reds, chocolate brown, golds and clean white, with crisp linen, bouquets of autumn flowers, and candles. 

Nature love.

Fall is an incredible time to appreciate the beauty of the great outdoors. 

Activity ideas: take the team for a guided nature tour or even tackle a hiking trail together. 

Catering suggestions: host a traditional fall feast with all the trimmings, served buffet-style outdoors.

Décor key points: richly colored dried leaves, fresh foliage, pinecones and nuts. 

Everyone loves pie.

So cater with a pie bar! 

Activity ideas: Guests assemble the pies of their dreams. Plan a pie-tasting competition to finish the night off.

Catering suggestions: serve mini pie crusts, an array of fillings, and mountains of whipped cream. 

Décor key points: loads of rustic raw wood and glass bowls filled with colorful fall fruit. Write out the menu and other messages on chalk boards and display these on tables and at entrances.

Enjoy the dreamy weather with a bonfire.

No-one can resist the fascination of a blazing fire, and all the trappings that go with it!

Activity ideas: entertain with a football game projected onto a large screen, and kick the standard entertainment up a notch by booking a professional country singer to serenade your guests.

Catering suggestions: marshmallows, popcorn, and gourmet hotdogs!

Décor key points: sawn-off logs and loads of electric lamps and fairy lights.

Harvest time.

There’s a plentitude of irresistible delicacies that are in season in the fall. Catering with food in season is not only budget-friendly, it benefits the environment. 

Activity ideas: you could start the day with a trip to a nearby farm where guests can enjoy the sunshine while harvesting produce to take home. End it all off with a pumpkin carving competition.

Catering suggestions: Prepare fruits and vegetables that are in season, and some meaty roasts and fresh local fish. Pair with craft beers and ciders.

Décor key points: pumpkins, nuts, sheaves of wheat and colorful dried leaves.

Here’s the secret to hosting an incredibly successful corporate event in the fall: include some exceptional hot drinks catering! Coffee and hot chocolate are relished any time of the year, but really come into their own in the fall and winter. We offer delicious, top-quality hot chocolate and coffee catering in NYC, so if you’re planning an event in New York City this fall, head over to coffeesandsmoothies.com to check out our irresistible drinks menu and book a mobile hot chocolate and coffee bar. We’ll set up anywhere in metro NYC and serve up some magic that will keep your guests warm and delighted.

You’d think Google is pretty good and easy to use. Well, mostly. But let’s say you’re a human resources manager in New York City and you’ve decided to have an employee appreciation event. Someone suggests that smoothies would be a fun thing to have.  How would you go about finding a solution?

You might start by searching “smoothie catering nyc.” That’s in fact what a lot of our clients search, or something like it.  What do they see first? The first result is a aggregator catering service (see image). There are a lot of these out there. I’m not going to name them and add to their search engine optimization efforts!  So why not use them?

Well, for starters, you’ll pay a lot more. Most of these services charge folks like us about 15% as a commission if we list with them and they find a client for us (BTW, this has never happened. Never. Happened.  We have never gotten a single client from these services, even after promoting our services through them, in some cases for years.)

If you add another company between you and us, you will pay more. Makes sense, right? We have to charge them more to build in their commission, and they’ll pass that right along to you. How generous of them! These folks are, by and large, not very good at creating business for caterers, but they’re great at showing up first  on a Google search. 

So what should you do when you’re looking for a smoothie catering service in New York? 

Look for one that’s just an independent company! If you look on that very first Google page past the aggregator catering services and the retail shops that might be able to deliver some pre-made smoothies to you (rather than our made-to-order smoothies which we prepare at your office), you’ll find us: www.coffeesandsmoothies.com.  

You may be thinking, “Hey, why don’t you guys just spend some money like those catering services so you’ll show up higher?” We do spend some money. Not as much as “those guys” though.  So you do have to know what you’re looking for. Going through the laborious searches of a catering aggregator to is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So scroll down a teeny tiny bit and you’ll see us, right….there!

We provide mobile smoothie and coffee/espresso bar catering, as well as acai bowls made with our signature smoothie recipe, for corporate events, employee appreciation events, company meetings and social events throughout New York, New Jersey, Westchester, Connecticut and beyond – heck, we’ve gone to Maine, Buffalo, Washington and other far-flung places. Have blender, will travel.

What could be better than a spiked espresso coffee for your corporate event? Maui Wowi has been catering corporate and social events in the New York metro area for almost two decades. Our espresso coffee bar is ideal for corporate meetings and trade events, as well as social events like weddings and bar/bat mitzvahs.

Here are some of our favorite espresso cocktail ideas for you to choose from.

 

• A taste of the Caribbean.

 

• Maui Wowi Chilled espresso
• Coconut cream
• Cardamom seeds
• Dark rum
• Brown sugar
• Ice
• Shaved coconut garnish 

Sweet, spicy, yet laid-back, this drink tastes like a holiday on an exotic beach.

 

• Country garden.

 

• Pear infused vodka
• Maui Wowi Chilled espresso
• Fine sugar
• Sprig of rosemary
• Crushed ice

This earthy mix is simple, yet unique.

 

• Summer in Marrakesh.

 

• Rum
• Chili infused liqueur
• Lemon juice
• Brown sugar
• Maui Wowi Espresso
• Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
• Shaved lemon zest and dark chocolate garnish

Begin this bold drink by setting the rum on fire.

 

• Boozy raspberries for dessert.

 

• Vodka
• Maui Wowi Chilled espresso
• Cacao liqueur
• Raspberry liqueur
• Vanilla seeds
• Cream

Delicate, velvety and sweet, this is a drink to satisfy those who believe dessert is the best part of a meal.

 

• French cafe.

 

• Maui Wowi Hot espresso
• Cognac
• Amaretto liqueur
• Whipped cream and shaved almonds

A mix that is warm, soothing, and heavenly.

 

• Ginger orange ice.

 

• Maui Wowi Chilled espresso
• Orange bitters
• Orange liqueur
• Vodka
• Ginger syrup
• Heavy cream
• Ice

Serve this drink with a garnish of preserved ginger and kumquat threaded onto a cocktail stick.

 

• A gift from the Irish.

 

• Maui Wowi Espresso
• Irish whiskey
• Demerara sugar
• Whipped cream

Our list wouldn’t be complete without this classic, served strong, sweet and hot.

We do coffee catering in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, Westchester and beyond, and our espresso liquor drinks are a trending favorite among our clients. Espresso catering in New York inspires flexibility and creativity in caterers, and we are always growing to keep in tune with the evolving trends and colorful tastes that are at the heart of our home city. Pleasing guests is an art, and we have it down.

If you’re hosting an event in New York and would like to wow your guests with some popular espresso liquor drinks that will knock their socks off (in all the best ways), go to coffeesandsmoothies.com  today to order a mobile espresso bar. We will set up at any New York location and create a corner of magic where your guests can take their pick from our wide variety of menu options, and indulge.

 

Eating healthily not only strengthens your body, it also boosts your mood, improves your memory, fuels your energy levels, and helps you sleep peacefully. Enjoying healthy meals daily elevates employees’ productivity, and simply makes people happier. Whether you’re planning a wellness event, a corporate health fair, or an event or meeting for your company, here’s how to serve up delicious yet healthy food that will bring out the best in everyone.

 

• Focus on flavor.

According to the American Heart Association, unhealthy foods are highly processed, contain a lot of sugar and salt, or are excessively fatty. And sadly, it seems that our taste-buds are wired to find these foods irresistible! We’ve all experienced the disappointment of trying a healthy dish and finding it bland or downright unpleasant. Here’s how to serve healthy food that won’t let anyone down:

• Book a caterer that specializes in serving healthy food – they’ll know their way around the ingredients and will have refined their recipes to perfection.
• If you don’t have that option, discuss the menu with your caterer and find ways to cook their dishes with a healthy twist. Read our tips below for the main points to cover.
• If you’re seeing to the catering yourself, here’s a clever article on how to cook up a healthily delectable storm.

 

• Meat: it’s all in the details.

When it comes to serving healthy meat dishes, there’s two aspects to consider – what the meat is comprised of (the animal, how it was raised, and the cut), and how to prepare it. Here and here are in-depth guides to selecting healthy meats, and here’s how to prepare them in a way that’s both delicious and guilt-free!

• Take your veg to the next level.

Yes, vegetables are packed with vitality, but we don’t always enjoy them! Here’s some practical tips on making them pop, and here’s a roundup of amazing veggie recipes.

• Don’t give up on starches.

Carbohydrates are good for you – as long as they’re not refined! Here’s an exhaustive list of starches that you can include in your menu plan, and tips on how eating them benefits the body.

• Sauces: the surprise health attack.

Sauces can be surprisingly unhealthy, as they are often high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. These sauces are low-calorie, though, and here are some wonderful recipes for more healthy sauces.

• Healthy drinks are also delicious.

Here are some drinks options that won’t drown your guests in sugar:

• Water – it’s obvious, but it must be said. For a special and eye-pleasing touch, serve water in cut-glass jugs with ice, mint or rosemary, and citrus slices.
• Fruit juices, freshly pressed from seasonal ingredients. Include fragrant herbs for a little something extra.
• Craft sodas with low sugar contents, designed for adults.
• Brews with a healthy twist.
• Red wine is good for the heart, if it’s limited to a single glass per guest.

Of course, the most delicious healthy drink of all is a creamy smoothie. Our Maui Wowi smoothies are like fruity milkshakes – but they’re healthy! Here’s an article that explains why this nutritious treat is known to be so good for you – no wellness event would be complete without some smoothie catering. Our Maui Wowi smoothies are lovingly blended from deliciously fresh ingredients, and we have an enormous variety of options. Our mobile smoothie bar will set up at your event and provide a fuss-free corner of palate-pleasing vitality.

Maui Wowi also offer a mobile coffee bar and a full array of espresso drinks, hot and iced – perfect for your dessert menu. Speaking of which….

• You don’t need to leave out dessert.

When it comes to dessert, you don’t need to deprive your guests – the key here is that a little goes a long way. You can serve a small portion of an unhealthy delicacy, like chocolate (preferably dark) or ice cream, with some guilt-free treats, like fresh seasonal fruit. Happily, there are also loads of healthy dessert recipes out there – here are some to get you inspired.

With these tips in your arsenal, your guests will be delightfully surprised over just how sumptuous healthy fare can be!

There are so many excellent reasons to serve some breakfast catering at your company’s corporate events.  Besides the fact that breakfasts are irresistibly delicious, centering a corporate meeting’s catering around the first meal of the day has proven time and again to be considerably less expensive than hosting a full-on dinner. And if your company is going to be tackling a day of training and conferences, everyone benefits from fueling up before it all starts.

When you’re planning the morning catering for your company’s next event, what to serve depends on the day’s activities. For a client meeting or a team discussion and regroup, a morning tea with neat, eye-pleasing finger foods is a practical choice. The focus is on the meeting, and if your goal is for people to mingle and chat, guests can wander around with their plates. For a full day of focus, though, a sit-down breakfast where people can stock up on nourishment will give everyone a boost.

 

• Finger foods are fun, neat and cost-effective.

When it comes to finger food, you can get creative, because the options are endless. Here are some favorites:

Fruit kebabs – fresh and colorful seasonal fruit on skewers.

Granola cup – granola, yogurt and fruit layered in clear glasses. Acai bowls are becoming a popular item and can be the base of a great morning mini-meal. (Ask us about what we can do for your on this idea.)Breakfast wraps – filled with hearty, nutritious fare, like bacon and scrambled egg, or feta and mushrooms.

Freshly-baked pastries – lay out an array of croissants, muffins and rolls.

To ensure that everyone leaves satisfied, have some nut-free and gluten-free dishes available. Here’s a Pinterest board packed with mouth-watering finger food ideas that will get you inspired.

• Sit-down breakfasts are classic, filling and cheery

We all have a favorite classic sit-down breakfast that we could never turn down. In an intimate setting, you could plan a luxurious plated meal, but we recommend a budget-friendly buffet if you’re hosting a larger group. Here’s a guide to sit-down breakfast options for corporate functions. It includes practical tips on which option to choose.

• Please the crowds with some coffee catering and smoothie catering

Whether you plan to serve finger foods or a full-on meal, your morning won’t be complete without some steaming cups of gourmet coffee. Our fresh Hawaiian coffee is unusual and delicious, it’s the perfect way to energize the minds and bodies of your guests, and will make your event unforgettable. We have a broad variety that includes cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, mochas, and even iced coffees, all brewed from our distinctive Hawaiian blends. We’ll bring a mobile coffee bar, set up at your location, and provide a fragrant corner of peace, pleasure and conversation at your next morning event.

And of course, a fresh smoothie should be an option at every breakfast. Smoothies are a healthy, gluten- and nut-free treat that are guaranteed to delight even the most particular diner. Our creamy smoothies have no artificial flavors or colors, are lovingly blended from the freshest ingredients, and we boast a truly enormous variety. Perfect for corporate morning events where guests will either mingle or sit down to a hearty meal, and especially fitting for corporate health fairs and wellness events, our mobile bar will set up at your location and ensure that guests can order their choice of this healthy delight.

 

The weather is dreamy, the days are long, that sporty guy in the office spends part of his time gazing longingly through the window – and you as Human Resources Manager have been given the task of planning a summer picnic for your company. We put together this article to bring you some fresh ideas and help you host a one-of-a-kind picnic that everyone will reminisce over for years to come.

 

1. Set goals for the picnic

What does everyone in the office need right now? Your colleagues could be looking for some time to unwind, or team-building opportunities, or just an occasion where they can reconnect and talk about current or future projects. Have a clear goal so that your activities hit the right spot.

2. Give the guest list the attention it deserves

You know all employees will be invited, but if they can also bring partners or children, this will affect your picnic entertainment, eats and activities a great deal. This should be one of the first things you discuss with your boss.

3. Have a plan of action for activities

To make sure your party is exactly what your colleagues need, goals should come first. Decor and fun are the icing on the cake, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, a corporate picnic should be all about the good food, games, and entertainment, but your list of activities needs to support your objectives for the day. When putting together a games list, Google is your rod and staff. Here is a list of some simple, reliable ideas, and a Pinterest board full of fun games.

 

4. Choose a theme to get the party started

There’s just something unique about a themed event – everyone lets their hair down and kicks into “crazy fun” mode. Even the most distinguished, straight-faced employee can’t resist a giggle at the sight of Sue from behind the desk wearing a pair of curly mustaches and knocking everyone over with her giant sombrero. It creates lasting memories and gets colleagues excited and engaged beforehand as they plan their outfits. If you decide not to go with dress-up costumes as part of your picnic, having a theme still keeps your decor unique and unified, and helps to prompt ideas for food.

Brainstorm a theme based on your activities. If you’re going to be close to the ocean or a lake and have planned lots of water-based activities, pick a Hawaiian or pirate theme. If you’re going to have relaxing games like bowling or ring-toss, you could choose a Western or Carnival theme. Here’s a roundup of 30 excellent ideas to get you inspired.

Tip: If you’ve planned or attended a lot of themed do’s already and are tired of cycling through the same ideas, mix two themes to come up with something entirely unique – like “Robots in the West” or “1950’s Casino”.

5. The most important part of the picnic is the food and drink!

Because all those games are going to give everyone a roaring appetite! Having a theme could simplify planning the menu a lot, but you could also just include the theme in the way the food is presented. Ask about allergies and other preferences beforehand, and have a bit of something for everyone.

Everyone agrees that having amazing drinks available has a huge impact on the success of an event. If you want to have some alcoholic drinks on tap, we suggest you go with options that are refreshing and only lightly alcoholic, like rock shandies or gin and tonics.

Of course, here’s top recommendation – book one of our coffee and smoothies mobile bars! We have seven fruity smoothie options blended from the freshest ingredients, and a range of irresistible iced coffees. These drinks are delicious, filling and refreshing, and will kick your picnic atmosphere up a notch. For fun and energizing picnic drinks, book a Maui Wowi mobile bar.

You’ve planned an amazing corporate picnic – now go ahead and enjoy it!

 

No one can resist the smell of fresh coffee. It’s an evocative fragrance that inevitably reminds you of good times – hours spent with loved ones, fun outings, a peaceful rendezvous with an excellent book, or a memorable event. There’s just something about good coffee that speaks class, care, and everything pleasant and satisfying.

We’ve noticed something interesting about the business events and large corporate meetings where we’re asked to cater with a mobile coffee bar. The bar becomes a little oasis, an island of retreat and refreshment away from the focused bustle. People relax for a few minutes, catch their breath and reorder their thoughts, or colleagues catch up with friendly chatter and banter. They leave calmed, refueled and energized. This coffee catering experience is one that you can’t even begin to compare with filling up quickly at the office coffee machine, or rushing off around the block for a cheap disposable cuppa. We have absolutely no doubt that our mobile coffee bars add a tremendous amount of atmosphere to events, and make lasting memories.

Here’s three things you should know about our coffee bars:

1. Our coffees are incredible

 

We source and serve the highest quality coffees. They’re responsibly grown and ethically traded. Our grounds are deliciously, fragrantly fresh, blended and roasted to perfection by our partnering roaster Coda Coffee, and we brew up both traditional and flavored roasts. We also boast some entirely unique blends.

Traditional coffees:

Some of the world’s most sought-after coffee is grown and harvested on the islands of Hawaii. Maui Wowi Hawaiian coffee lines consist of gourmet blends from the Hawaiian regions of Kona, Molokai and Kauai, where coffee beans are carefully handpicked from selected coffee plantations and family-owned farms that best represent the rugged and bold attributes, as well as the sheer beauty and elegance of Hawaii.

Flavored coffee:

This wonderful treat awakens the senses. Try our smooth Chocolate Macadamia, punchy toasted coconut or sweet, classic Vanilla.  

Featured roasts:

Maui Mountain Roast is a bold coffee that has a chocolate flavor, undertones of macadamia nut and a sweet cane sugar finish which makes it distinctly unique from other blends. With Brazilian beans from the Santo Antonio Estates in Minas Gerais, beans from the Bukonzo Joint Cooperative in Uganda, and beans from Maui, Maui Mountain Roast is described as a bold coffee with subtle hints of wild berry and an earthy finish that is distinctly unique from our other coffees.

Pacific Passion combines the best of the Pacific Islands with Hawaiian and Papua New Guinea beans. A coffee prized by connoisseurs, our Pacific Passion is naturally sweet with a fruity aroma, full-body finish and clean flavour.

2. We have enormous variety

 

• We do espresso catering with a unique Kona coffee blend.
• We serve up a deeply flavorful cold brew.
• We make smooth yet bold Hawaaian lattes and cappuccinos.
• We create unique and delightful mochas in three different flavors.
• We serve rich, satisfying hot chocolates using high-quality Ghiradelli sauces – we have four flavor variations.
• We do refreshing iced coffees too!

3. We can fit in with any décor theme

 

While our coffees are Hawaiian, the look of our bars is classically simple and will fit in anywhere.

For a truly memorable event, book a mobile coffee bar at coffeesandsmoothies.com.

 

Maui Wowi had a big first – providing our mobile smoothie bar to The Julliard School for their Stress Less Week before final exams. We have been providing smoothie bars for campus events since 2002, but somehow we never had been to this great institution. It was a great day and the student musicians, singers and dancers were definitely less stressed after a fun smoothie event in New York.

 

About Us

Maui Wowi Coffee & Smoothie Catering has been serving the corporate event market on Long Island and NYC for more than 17 years.  We provide mobile espresso and coffee bars featuring our own custom coffees available exclusively through our catering service.

 Event Types

We work with human resource managers for event types including corporate meetings,  promotional events,  and client and employee appreciation events.

Our Menus

• Our Espresso and Coffee Bar service includes favorites like Cappuccino, Latte, Macchiato, and Americano (regular and decaf). We also offer Ghirardelli hot cocoa with a variety of toppings.
• We offer both hot and iced coffee/espresso/latte choices, cold-brew,  as well as frozen blended Cappuccino.
• We offer a choice of syrups (such as Caramel, Hazelnut, Vanilla, Peppermint, Pumpkin Spice and many others) and Ghirardelli chocolate and caramel sauces.
• Milk choices include regular, non-fat, almond and soy. We provide a choice of sugar and non-sugar sweeteners.
• We also offer fruit smoothies in a variety of flavors like Strawberry Banana, Pina Colada, Mango Orange, Black Raspberry, Kiwi Lemon Lime, Peach and frozen Lemonade.

 
Our Equipment, Servers and Other Details

• We use professional espresso machines and bean grinders to assure freshness and an ideal coffee extraction for our espresso drinks. Our servers are highly experienced and professional.
• Our attire is typically black shirts and pants, but we can dress in whatever way is appropriate for your event.
• We provide hot cups and other disposables for our beverages, however, we can use any china or glassware that you provide.
• We typically set up our service on folding tables with a linen cloth.
• We can accommodate any type of setup you require. We need a standard 110v/23 amp electrical service.
• We can provide a Certificate of Insurance with 48 hours notice.

 
Our Coffee
We use espresso beans from Kona, Hawaii for our espresso beverages. Why Hawaiian? Because we’ve tried espresso beans from all over the world and we find Kona beans offer the best balance and flavor. For our brewed coffees, we use beans from Maui, Molokai and Kona—each offering different flavor profiles.        
 
Our Clients
We have catered our espresso and coffee beverages from some of the leading companies and celebrities in metro New York. (We even catered an espresso bar for Billy Joel’s 4^th of July party.)
 
Our Service Area
We provide our mobile espresso and coffee catering service in the five boroughs of New York City, as well as Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, greater Philadelphia and southern New England.
 
Pricing and Contact Information
Our pricing is based on the number of guests and the hours of service you need.  Please call us at 866-448-7792 or complete the form for a quote. You can also email us at sales@coffeesandsmoothies.com.

Everyone loves our fresh-blended smoothies this time of year. We’re breaking out our special edition “tiki cups” – which are FOUR TIMES larger than our regular serving size for corporate and social events. Twenty-eight ounces of pina colada, strawberry banana, mango orange, frozen cappuccino, peach, black raspberry, or frozen lemonade. Mix and match flavors to create unique combinations. And your guests get to keep the cool souvenir cups.

This is a limited time availability, so do something BIG and BOLD for your people — whether an employee appreciation day, health and wellness fair, Nurse Appreciation Week (yes, it’s coming in May), grad party, or any other special event you’re planning.

Get in touch by email or call us at 866-448-7792.