As the person planning a full day of catering, you're coordinating three deliveries into one room. In September, the full workforce returns, and with it longer events that require full-day catering: a lunch and learn that runs from 9 to 4, a new-hire cohort starting together, a planning session that runs straight through midday. This post walks through what to order for morning, midday, and afternoon, when each one should arrive relative to what's happening in the room, and what to confirm with Metro before the day starts so nothing shows up mid-session.
The morning delivery has one job: timing. If people are walking in at 8:45 for a 9:00 start, the food needs to be out and the coffee poured by 8:30. Metro delivers in 30-minute windows, so book a window that closes at least 15 minutes before your start time, not one that ends at it.
Breakfast Package #3 is built for a working morning: Classic Greek Yogurt Parfaits with Mixed Berries, Homemade Granola & Honey, plus sliced fruit and coffee or fresh juice, at $16.95 per guest with an eight-guest minimum. It's gluten-free and vegetarian on its own, no substitution required, and it doesn't ask anyone to stand at a chafing dish before the session starts. Save a hot breakfast for a day when breakfast is the actual event — a spread that needs tending competes with whoever is trying to start the meeting on time.
A heavy lunch leaves people sluggish through the first afternoon session. Order protein and vegetables, skip the pasta and bread, and schedule the delivery to open at the start of the break — a 12:00 window for a 12:15 lunch means the food is already out and ready when people sit down.
For 12 or more, the Chicken & Vegetarian / Vegan Buffet covers the room in one order: two proteins, two sides, and a Garden Salad, served hot in disposable pans on wire racks, at $30.95 per guest with a 12-guest minimum. Choose sides that work at 1:30, not just at 12:15 — rice and vegetables hold up better through an afternoon than potatoes do. If your building doesn't allow open flames, add the flameless set-up (a wire rack, water pan, and two flameless heat sources) for $15.00 per set-up, four set-up minimum — worth confirming before the day, not after the delivery arrives without it.
By 2:30, the morning coffee is long gone and the room is flagging. This delivery should be small and fast: fresh coffee, water, something that isn't dessert. Time it for the break between the second-to-last and last session, and set it up on a side table so it doesn't interrupt whoever's presenting.
Mini Overnight Oats work well here — individual portions soaked in almond milk and vanilla, $6.95 each with a six-piece minimum, gluten-free and vegan. No plate needed, easy to carry back to a seat. If you want something sweet too, hold it for the last 20 minutes; a 2:30 sugar spike works against you in the final hour, not for you.
Three services in a single day means three delivery windows and one guest count that applies to all of them. Place the whole day as a single order, so Metro's team can plan the sequence — which room each delivery goes to, which window applies to which service, and which items need advance notice, since a few do.
Next-day orders close at 3:00 PM the day before, and the office takes calls Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. If the day is already on the calendar, get the order in now — the headcount can move later, but the date and the three windows are easier to lock early than to negotiate the week of.
Author
Chris Zamfotis
Managing Partner, Metro Catering
Chris Zamfotis is the Managing Partner at Metro Catering, a New York City catering company serving corporate offices, private events, and businesses across Manhattan. With a focus on reliable service, thoughtful menu planning, and polished presentation, Chris helps lead Metro Catering’s approach to modern corporate catering, from daily office lunches to executive meetings, happy hours, and large-scale events.
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.
