Summer thins out the office. Half your team is out on a given week, the ones who are in are watching the clock for their own vacation, and the pace of everything — meetings, decisions, momentum — drops with the headcount. As the person who keeps the team fed and functioning, you just need one afternoon that pulls people together before the week gets away from you. A midweek lunch does exactly that. Here's why it works, and what to order so it takes you fifteen minutes to plan instead of an hour.
Summer office attendance can be unpredictable. But for the people who are in the office, a catered lunch in the middle of the week gives them a reason to sit at the same table at the same time. That's the whole value. It doesn't need a theme or a speech behind it — the lunch is reason enough on its own.
Skip anything that needs setup time or serving staff — the whole appeal of a summer Wednesday lunch is that it's ready to eat without much prep or planning required. Sandwich Boxes are perfectly suited for summer lunches: each one pairs a sandwich, wrap, or pita with a side, already portioned, so people grab one and go back to their desks or the break room. Metro's menu has two options worth knowing for July:
Pick one format and stick to it. A single format keeps the order simple and keeps people from standing around comparing options instead of eating. Order to the actual headcount for the week, not your usual team size — with attendance this unpredictable in July, a quick headcount by Tuesday morning saves you from over-ordering for people who aren't in.
This lunch comes together with barely any lead time. Metro takes orders up to 3:00 p.m. the day before delivery for most items, so a Tuesday-afternoon order covers Wednesday lunch — the same cutoff applies for either the Sandwich Box #1 or the Summer Seasonal wraps. For a mid-summer lunch, you're not managing a project, you're placing one order a day ahead and letting the rest of the week catch up on its own.
You don't need a reason for a midweek lunch beyond the one summer already gave you: a thinner room and a slower week. Metro Catering has been feeding Midtown offices since 1981, and a Sandwich Box order takes minutes to place at orders.metrocateringnyc.com. Pick a Wednesday before the summer's over, and let workplace dining be the easy part of it.
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.
