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Published: June 24, 2022
Read Time: Approximately 15 Minutes
If you’ve ever worked in an office environment in Toronto, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced corporate catering at some point. From small in-office meetings to large offsite galas, corporate catering is appropriate whenever food is required. But what exactly is corporate catering, how is it different than regular catering, and how is corporate catering coordinated for employees still working from home? This article is going to go in-depth to answer all of those questions, plus more, to provide everything you need to know about corporate catering in Toronto.
In This Article
“Some companies may offer daily catered lunches to help attract top talent, boost employee productivity, and increase employee retention.”
Corporate catering in Toronto can include a wide range of events. Simply put, corporate catering is any event, large or small, that is catered for a corporate setting. Some companies may offer daily catered lunches to help attract top talent, boost employee productivity, and increase employee retention. Companies may also choose to cater board meetings, staff appreciation events, retirement parties, or product launch parties. Corporate catering is also perfect for impressing business partners that are coming to your office. On a larger scale, corporate catering is also used for special events like galas, fundraisers, holiday parties, and more. Since corporate catering applies to any corporate event, the event doesn’t need to physically take place at your office. Offsite events like holiday parties, summer BBQ’s, or virtual events would still be considered corporate catering even though they’re taking place at another location.
“You may also want meals to be individually packaged with cutlery and utensils, possibly including the employees name on the box of their meal.”
The difference between corporate catering and other catering is quite simple; corporate catering is the term used when the catering takes place in a corporate setting. Many catering companies will group their catering services into a few categories, including things like Social Catering, Private Catering, Wedding Catering, and Corporate Catering. Whether you’re looking for catering to be delivered to your office, to an employees’ individual home, or to an offsite event, if the purpose of the catering is related to a business need, it would be classified as corporate catering.
The above paragraph explains why the term corporate catering is used, but is there any physical difference between corporate catering and regular catering? Well, it depends. An elegant corporate gala may use a very similar menu, rentals, staffing, and logistics as a wedding for example. In a situation like that, no there wouldn’t be any physical difference between corporate catering and regular catering, other than the classification. But for other situations like daily catered lunches for employees, corporate catering would be very unique. For example you would likely want to have a rotating menu to keep things fresh and so that the employees don’t get tired of the same meals. You may also want meals to be individually packaged with cutlery and utensils, possibly including the employees name on the box of their meal. All of these things are unique to corporate catering, so in situations like these, corporate catering is more than just a classification since the catering itself will have special requirements compared to other catering.
Read More: 5 Benefits of Providing Corporate Catering For Your Employees
“Many times, a company will approach a caterer with a set budget in mind for their specific event.”
Like most other forms of catering, corporate catering in Toronto is however expensive you want to make it. What we mean by that is, corporate catering is available for a wide range of budgets. If you’re looking for a simple breakfast drop-off at your office without any staff or setup required, you’ll be able to keep the catering to a low budget. However, if you want a premium menu for an elegant gala and you require staffing, rentals, etc. then it may cost a pretty penny. Generally speaking, corporate catering in Toronto will cost approximately $10 per person on the low end, and could cost upwards of $100+ per person at the higher end.
Many times, a company will approach a caterer with a set budget in mind for their specific event. The caterer will then work with the company to create a menu that fits within their budget, while keeping all other costs in consideration (delivery, staffing, etc.). This helps set the conversation right from the beginning as to what type of menu items and add-ons will be offered within the desired budget. To learn more about the cost of catering, check out our article: How Expensive Is Catering? A Full List of Catering Prices
“Corporate catering menus in Toronto can vary widely depending on the type of event that you’re having.”
Corporate catering menus in Toronto can vary widely depending on the type of event that you’re having. For example you may want corporate catering for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Even further, you may want individually packaged meals, a buffet-style menu, or a plated menu. With so many variables it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what a corporate catering menu can look like. In fact, any high-end caterer will create a customized menu specifically for your corporate event.
Since corporate catering menus can encompass a wide variety of options, we don’t have one specific “Corporate Catering Menu”, but rather we have a variety of menus that our corporate clients review and choose their preferred items. For example, our Breakfast & Brunch Menu is highly popular with our corporate clients for in-office meetings and events. Our Buffet Menu is the most viewed option for corporate events that are a bit larger at scale. And our Plated Dinner Menu is what companies will choose to look at when planning something more elegant or extravagant like a fundraiser, gala, or holiday party.
You can take a look at all of our menu packages by visiting our Menus page.
“Both Virtual Catering and Hybrid Catering offer a convenient solution for corporate catering in Toronto, no matter where your employees are working from.”
Daily catered lunches have always been a strong perk that certain employers offer to help attract and retain their employees. Due to the work-from-home movement during the pandemic, employers have been shifting their approach to offer employees catering right at their own homes. If everyone is back at the office, then you would just need regular corporate catering. However, if your employees are still working from home, you’d be looking at Virtual Catering. And if some of your employees are at home while others are back in the office, you’d want to look at Hybrid Catering.
The benefits of Virtual Catering and Hybrid Catering is that it allows the employer to continue offering great food to their employees, while promoting inclusivity and togetherness despite being in physically different locations. It’s all incredibly simple too. With our Virtual Catering application, the employer sends us a list of employee names and addresses, then we send an automated email letting the employee choose their meal selection. That’s all it takes—30 seconds and they’re finished!
Virtual Catering has been incredibly popular throughout the pandemic, and now that the workforce is shifting back to an in-office work environment, demand for Hybrid Catering is increasing. Both Virtual Catering and Hybrid Catering offer a convenient solution for corporate catering in Toronto, no matter where your employees are working from.
Read More: Hybrid Catering For Employees Returning Back to the Office
“Ordering corporate catering in Toronto is actually quite easy, but the method of ordering will first depend on what type of corporate event you’re planning.”
If you’re in the process of researching about corporate catering, you’re probably also wondering how to actually place an order. Ordering corporate catering in Toronto is actually quite easy, but the method of ordering will first depend on what type of corporate event you’re planning. Are you looking for a drop-off breakfast, a buffet-style lunch, or a plated dinner? Here are the two most common ways to order corporate catering from Encore:
Order Directly Online: We have a corporate catering online ordering platform set up with a corporate menu to make ordering simple and convenient, without needing to wait for a custom quote or proposal. Visit encorecatering.com/corporate to see the full menu; select the items you want and then choose your delivery date and time during checkout. The whole process can be done without needing to pick up a phone or sending an email.
Custom Menu & Proposal: If you’re looking for something a little bit more custom than what’s offered on our e-commerce platform, you can send an email or give us a call and we’ll put together a custom menu and proposal for you. This will of course take a little bit more time to get the order finalized as it will require back and forth communication, but it’s a popular option for employers that are looking for something specific.
“Safety precautions are still important and are a major consideration, especially when it comes to corporate catering.”
There’s no denying that COVID-19 has shaken up entire industries, especially when considering the major changes to office working environments. At the time of writing this article, employees are allowed to return back to work, and employers are in the process of shifting back to this in-person working environment. Safety precautions are still important and are a major consideration, especially when it comes to corporate catering.
When you order corporate catering in Toronto, most caterers will have a COVID-19 policy, or at least a Health and Safety Policy. Here are some questions you can ask your caterer to ensure your corporate catering is as COVID-friendly as possible.
– Will the catering staff be able to bring the food directly into the office so employees don’t need to use the elevators?
– Will the meals come individually packaged for each employee?
– Will the meals be served hot or will we need to reheat them in the office?
– Will cutlery and serving utensils be included with the meal?
– Do you have a policy for your employees and/or kitchen staff that have tested positive for COVID-19?
– What are your sanitization procedures in the kitchen while preparing food?
– Do you offer contactless delivery?
“From daily catered lunches to large corporate galas, the possibilities are endless with corporate catering in Toronto, and so are the unique menus to choose from.”
Hopefully this article has given you more insight and information as to how corporate catering works in Toronto. From daily catered lunches to large corporate galas, the possibilities are endless with corporate catering in Toronto, and so are the unique menus to choose from. If you’re interested in learning more about our corporate catering or if you’re ready to start planning your next corporate event, send us an email or give us a call today!
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