As the person planning office catering for the next few weeks, you're looking at three dates that don't come with a Metro holiday menu the way Thanksgiving or December do: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. All three fall within about three weeks of each other this year, and each one affects who's in the office and when it makes sense to order. Here's what's on the calendar and how to plan around it.
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown Friday, September 11, and continues through nightfall Sunday, September 13 — the Jewish New Year, typically marked with family meals. The two full days of the holiday fall on a Saturday and Sunday this year, so the office impact is lighter than the dates alone suggest.
Yom Kippur is different. It begins at sundown Sunday, September 20, and ends at nightfall Monday, September 21 — the Day of Atonement, observed with a full day of fasting. Monday the 21st is a regular business day, and it's the date in this stretch most worth building a plan around.
Sukkot follows a few days later, beginning at sundown Friday, September 25, and running through nightfall Friday, October 2. The two most observant days fall on Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, so like Rosh Hashanah, the heavier restrictions fall on a weekend this year.
Keep anything discretionary off Monday the 21st if you can. A big all-hands, a client meeting, or a lunch built around getting people in a room works better on the Tuesday or Thursday before or after, since the fast affects who's available and whether food is the right centerpiece that day.
If something has to happen on the 21st, keep the catering optional instead of central. A grazing spread people can walk past works better than a sit-down lunch — it respects the day without turning it into a statement either way.
Metro's regular ordering window is 3:00 PM the day before delivery, and that still covers most week-to-week lunches without extra planning. But the fine print is specific about holiday timing: early morning, evening, weekend, or holiday orders go through a direct call to a catering professional instead of the standard online cutoff.
September 11, September 20 or 21, and September 25 are three separate dates inside about three weeks. One phone call that covers the whole stretch beats placing three separate last-minute orders as each date gets closer.
Whatever gets ordered across this stretch comes off the menu that's live right now. Summer Seasonal runs through October 2, the same day Sukkot ends, and Fall/Winter doesn't start until October 5. There's nothing seasonal changing mid-stretch, and no new menu to wait for before placing any of these orders.
Three dates, three weeks, one call. Get September 11, September 20 or 21, and September 25 onto Metro's calendar now, and the ordering takes care of itself as each date gets closer.
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.
