Here are five things to evaluate before you sign on with a caterer for a workplace dining program.
This is the most important item on the list. The best menu in Midtown won't matter if the food shows up at 12:25 for a noon lunch and twenty people are standing in a conference room with no plates.
Two questions to ask any caterer you're evaluating:
The first answer sets your expectation. The second tells you whether they have a plan for the days the truck is stuck on 38th Street.
A reliable caterer arrives 15 minutes early, sets up before the meeting breaks, and leaves before the first plate is filled.
A 72-hour notice requirement and a 25-person minimum work for a fixed weekly schedule. They make the call at 4 PM Wednesday about an offsite team coming in tomorrow morning much harder to handle.
Most Manhattan caterers running corporate programs operate on 24–48 hour standard lead times, with same-day options when there's availability. Minimums vary by format — a hot buffet has a higher floor than a sandwich platter. Get the actual numbers in writing, and confirm whether weekends and holidays raise the cost.
Ask any caterer you're evaluating to show you what their menu looked like in January, March, and April. If the answer is "we have a winter menu and a spring menu," that's two rotations a year. If they can show you what shifted month to month, that's a real program.
Metro's current spring menu, for example, brought in a Gardeners Table breakfast grazing board, an asparagus, jambon and gruyère tart, Bowtie Spring Pasta with English peas and fava beans, and a Spring Baby Gem salad — none of which were on the winter menu.
What good setup looks like in a Midtown office: hot food in proper warmers, cold food at the right temperature, plates and utensils sized for the headcount with extras, napkins folded or stacked, serving utensils for every dish, and labels on anything with a major allergen. The catering team is in and out in 15 minutes, the conference room is ready before anyone walks in, and the cleanup is handled at the end.
The questions to ask: do they bring chafing dishes for hot items? Do they bring serving utensils for every dish? Do they staff the setup with someone who stays until the food is on the table, or is it a drop-and-go? If they can provide specific answers to questions like these, that's a good sign.
A workplace dining program needs a dedicated account contact — someone who knows your standing order, your team's dietary notes, and the recurring meeting that needs the same setup every Thursday. That person catches the small things before they become problems.
When you're evaluating caterers, ask who the point of contact will be after onboarding. If the answer is vague, the answer is "nobody."
Metro Catering has been running corporate catering programs in Midtown since 1981. The kitchen is at 21 W 38th St, which means lunch arrives in single-digit minutes for most Midtown offices, not from a hub in Long Island City.
Standard lead time is 24–48 hours. Same-day availability depends on the day. The menu rotates quarterly with seasonal launches and weekly specials. Every program is assigned a dedicated account manager from week one.
If you're scoping a workplace dining program, the team can walk you through pilot options, custom menus, and dietary accommodations before you commit to anything. For one-time orders or corporate events, the same number works.
The caterers worth hiring are the ones who can show their work on every item above. Ask the questions. Get specific answers. The right vendor will welcome them.
Metro Catering has been NYC’s trusted corporate catering provider since 1981, offering fresh, high-quality meals for office lunches, corporate events, and workplace dining—delivered on time, every time.
