Boxed lunches vs platters for the office

What we mean by each

A boxed lunch is an individual meal in its own container: typically a sandwich, wrap or grain bowl, a side salad, a snack or dessert, and cutlery and a napkin, labelled with the contents and, if you send names, the person it is for. See our boxed lunch menu.

Platters are shared trays and bowls set out on a table: sandwich or wrap platters, large salads, grain dishes, fruit and dessert trays, or a hot lunch buffet in chafing dishes or insulated containers. People serve themselves onto plates. See our hot lunch buffet.

Cost per person

Our boxed lunches start from $24 per person, and our hot lunch buffet starts from $32 per person, before HST and delivery. Comparing like with like (the same sandwich and salad), shared platters are usually a little cheaper per person than boxes, because individual packaging, labelling and assembly add labour and material.

Platters are also more forgiving on quantity. A platter order for 30 can comfortably feed 28 or 32, while boxed lunches are counted exactly, so late additions need a new box. On the other hand, platters are sized with a margin so the last person in line still has a choice, and some of that margin can end up as leftovers.

Dietary needs and allergens

This is where boxes win. When a team of 20 includes two halal, three vegetarian, one vegan, one gluten-free and one person with a nut allergy, individual boxes mean each person gets a meal made and labelled for them, sealed until they open it. No one has to trust that the next person used the right tongs.

Platters can handle dietary variety with separate trays, labels on every item and their own serving utensils, and dietary platters placed first in line. They work well when needs are simple, such as a vegetarian option and a gluten-free option. They are riskier for serious allergies, because shared serving spoons and guests reaching across trays create cross-contact. For mixed or serious requirements, a common solution is platters for the group plus individually boxed meals for people with specific needs. Our dietary catering page explains how we label.

Speed and meeting format

Boxes are fastest to hand out. Twenty people can pick up labelled boxes in a couple of minutes and return to their seats, which suits working lunches, training sessions with a short break, and board meetings where no one wants a queue at the credenza. Boxes can also be eaten at desks, on a bus to an offsite, or outdoors.

Platters take longer: a self-serve line moves at roughly four to six people a minute when the table is set up well, and slower when there are many dishes. They suit lunches where the break is the point, like a team celebration, a welcome lunch for new hires or an all-hands where people should sit together.

A worked example: 30-person training day

A company runs a full-day training for 30 people in a Mississauga office, with a 45-minute lunch break. Four people eat halal, three are vegetarian, one is vegan and one has a tree nut allergy. Platters alone would mean five or six separate trays, careful labelling and a line that takes most of the break. A practical plan: shared hot or cold platters for the 21 people without restrictions, plus nine individually labelled boxes with names, delivered 15 minutes before the break. Everyone eats within the hour, and no one with a restriction has to queue at a shared tray.

Presentation and waste

Platters look like a meal and make a room feel hospitable. Boxes look practical. For client-facing lunches, well-presented platters on proper serveware often make a better impression, unless the meeting is in a boardroom where individual meals are simply more polished.

Boxes create more packaging per person, even with compostable or recyclable containers. Platters create less packaging but more leftover food if quantities are generous. Check your building's organics and recycling streams; either format can be planned to fit them.

Hot or cold

Most boxed lunches are cold or room temperature, because hot food in individual containers loses quality quickly. If the team wants a hot meal, a buffet in insulated containers or chafing dishes is usually better. Food safety guidance is to eat perishable food within about two hours of it leaving temperature control, so time the delivery to the break, not to the start of the day.

Choose boxed lunches if / choose platters if

Choose boxed lunches if:

• The group has several dietary requirements or serious allergies.
• The break is short or people are eating at their seats.
• You are feeding a board meeting, training room or offsite on the move.
• You need an exact count and individual labels with names.

Choose platters if:

• You want the best value per person.
• Lunch is a social moment for the team.
• Dietary needs are simple and can be handled with separate trays.
• Headcount may shift by a few people on the day.
• You want a hot meal.

For many offices the answer is both: platters for the group and labelled boxes for the few people who need them. For regular orders, see office lunch catering.