Corporate catering planning
Office Lunch Catering Checklist
Use an office lunch handoff worksheet to plan arrival, setup, dietary meals, serving, cleanup and approvals, with a worked 50-person lunch example.
Menus and service tailored to your eventThe short answer
An office lunch plan needs a meal count, serving window, receiving contact, building access instructions and a named person responsible for setup and cleanup. Choose a shared buffet when the team can eat together or labelled meals for individual distribution. Mehfill office packages start at 15 guests; boxed lunches start at 10 meals. Confirm the delivery window and final scope before sending the staff invitation.
Mehfill Catering Team · UpdatedStep 01
Plan the handoff before ordering
Work back from when colleagues need to eat. For an illustrative 50-person lunch from noon to 12:45 p.m., the organizer could request the sequence below. The quote and building constraints determine the actual delivery and setup windows.
Choose the meal and procurement scope on the office lunch catering page, then use this worksheet to turn the order into a workable handoff.
Swipe or scroll sideways to read the full worksheet.
| Requested window | Organizer's action | Confirm before booking |
|---|---|---|
| 11:30–11:45 a.m. | Receiving contact meets delivery at the agreed entrance. | Loading, security sign-in, elevator and phone contact. |
| 11:45 a.m.–noon | Check the order and identify dietary meals before inviting guests. | Table space, serving equipment and who completes setup. |
| Noon–12:45 p.m. | Release groups or distribute labelled meals as planned. | Meeting agenda, headcount and any staggered breaks. |
| After lunch | Assigned host or booked staff clear the serving area. | Cleanup, waste handling and any equipment collection. |
Address and room: record the street address, building, floor, suite and actual receiving entrance.
Two contacts: name the reachable receiving person and the organizer who can approve a change.
Access permission: book elevators or loading access and complete visitor registration where required.
Handoff responsibility: agree what drop-off setup includes and which tasks remain with the office.
Step 02
Choose how people will receive food
For the same 50 guests, a shared buffet and individually allocated meals need different counts and room plans. Choose the format before collecting orders; do not assume a buffet meal can be converted into a labelled bowl with the same inclusions.
For separate rooms or staggered breaks, compare labelled boxed lunches with the shared office buffet. Labels and utensils are included with boxed meals; substitutions are not offered.
Buffet: count everyone receiving a meal, confirm dish suitability and ask how dietary portions will remain available for the people who need them.
Individual meals: collect quantities by the selected recipe and distribution group. Add names only when the handout process needs them.
Room plan: confirm where food, utensils and waste go, and keep the queue clear of doors and work areas.
Dietary review: send vegetarian, vegan, Jain and allergy requirements separately from spice preferences. The chef confirms ingredients and cross-contact considerations.
Step 03
Close the information gaps
Before the organizer approves the quote, put the following in one brief: date and lunch window; address and access; guest count by meal; dietary questions; receiving contact; budget; and billing contact. Confirm which details can change and by when.
Check the current delivery, setup and staffing terms when assigning the office's responsibilities. A delivery charge is not a promise of staffed service for the whole lunch.
Price: standard GTA delivery is C$40 with drop-off setup. Package prices are before HST; drinks, staff and other requested extras must be identified in the quote.
Approvals: give the purchase-order number or invoicing requirements and name the billing contact. No deposit is required; final payment is due one day before the event.
Final count: the routine deadline for menu and guest count is 24 hours before the event. Urgent requests need at least four hours' notice, subject to availability and explicit confirmation of any exception.
Recurring lunches: keep the building handoff instructions, but reconfirm each date, menu rotation, dietary counts and recipient. A previous order does not reserve the next delivery slot.
Confirm the actual event
Turn the checklist into a catering conversation.
Share the date, address, guest count, event type, and the decisions you already know. Mehfill will review the current menu, service, availability, and commercial scope.
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