Catering offices and boardrooms

Getting into the building

Toronto office buildings, especially towers in the Financial District and along Yonge, Bloor and the 401 corridor, control deliveries closely. Before a first order we ask for:

• The delivery entrance. Many towers send food deliveries to a loading dock rather than the lobby, and some limit dock access to set hours.
• Security sign-in. The name of the host, the floor and a contact number that someone will answer. Some buildings need vendor names a day ahead.
• Elevator access. Whether deliveries must use a freight elevator and whether a building staff member has to operate it.
• Parking or stopping. Where a delivery vehicle can stop for 15 minutes without being ticketed or blocking a fire route.
• Insurance. Some property managers require a certificate of insurance before a vendor can use the dock.

Once we have these details, a repeat order or a recurring lunch program does not need them again.

Timing

For a lunch meeting, food should be set up and ready 10 to 15 minutes before people arrive, which usually means arriving at the dock 30 to 45 minutes before start time in a busy tower. For breakfast meetings at 8 a.m., building access hours matter: some docks and freight elevators don't open until 7 a.m.

Plan for a small gap between delivery and eating, not a long one. Food out of temperature control should be eaten within about two hours, so a lunch delivered at 11 a.m. for a meeting that breaks at 1:30 p.m. needs hot holding or a later delivery. Our standard lead time for drop-off orders is 48 hours.

Setting up in a meeting room

Boardrooms are designed for laptops, not buffets. We set food on a side credenza or a separate table rather than the meeting table, keep hot equipment clear of AV cables and screens, and use table protectors where surfaces are wood or glass. If the only surface is the meeting table itself, individually packed meals are usually the better format.

For breakout sessions and all-day meetings, a separate food station in a corridor or pantry lets people eat without interrupting the room. See meeting and conference catering for full-day plans.

Dietary labelling that works at work

Offices bring together halal, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy requirements in one room. The fix is labelling, not guessing. Individually boxed meals can carry the guest's name and the dietary tag, which is why many teams choose boxed lunches for meetings with several restrictions. On buffets and platters, every item carries a label, dishes for specific diets are placed first in the line with their own serving utensils, and allergen information is on the order confirmation.

Collect requirements with the meeting invite, not the morning of. A short form with name and dietary need gives us what we need to label correctly. Our dietary catering page explains how each requirement is handled.

After-hours receptions on the office floor

Client receptions, launches and holiday parties held in office space turn a workplace into an event venue for a night. Additional questions apply: does the building allow alcohol, and under what conditions; are chafing fuels permitted; what is the occupancy limit for the floor; and when must cleaners and security have the space back. Freight elevators may need to be booked separately for the evening. See corporate events and receptions.

Waste and pickup

Most buildings have their own recycling and organics sorting rules. We use packaging that fits typical GTA recycling and organics streams where possible, and we tell the host what goes where. If our equipment (chafing dishes, platters, beverage dispensers) is left on site, we agree a pickup time that suits the building, often later the same day or the next morning.