There are many events one might hold to benefit a particular research effort, for which it is usual to provide at least coffee, fruit, and pastries (at least at my school), sometimes more:
- You invite a researcher to visit your university and give a talk about his latest work, which will help bootstrap your research.
- You hold an open house and invite visitors from industry and academia to disseminate the results of your research.
- You hold a workshop or "summer camp" for grad students to teach them how to use the methods/tools you've developed for your research and get their feedback.
- You have a collaborator at another location working on this research effort with you. He visits your university once a year for a project meeting, including lunch.
Depending on the nature of the project and the funding, one or more of these may be an appropriate use of funds. (Obviously: follow the rules about how the money may be spent.)