Short answer: Catered lunch ideas cover what you need for office meetings, corporate events, training days, baby showers, and other group lunches. Top menu styles include boxed lunches, sandwich platters, taco bars, Italian buffets, and Southern comfort spreads. The right option depends on your guest count, time window, and budget. Catering By Design offers fully customizable catering menus starting at $10.95 per person, with drop-off, buffet-style, and full-service options across Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
Choosing a lunch catering style comes down to your time window, guest count, and how formal the event needs to feel.
The right catered lunch idea depends on your event type, time of day, and guest preferences. These six menu styles cover most office lunch and corporate event scenarios.
For events with tight schedules, boxed lunches are the easiest format. Each guest gets a labeled box ready to grab and go. Catering By Design’s Classic Boxed Lunches at $12.95 per person include Ham & Swiss, Turkey & Provolone, Roast Beef & Cheddar, Tuna Salad, and Classic Chicken Salad, served with potato chips, fresh fruit, and cookies or brownies. Specialty Boxed Lunches at $15.95 step up to gourmet sandwich options like the Filet of Beef, Caprese, Turkey Avocado BLT, and Chicken Ciabatta. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free box lunches are available for guests with dietary needs.
For shareable, build-your-own setups, a sandwich platter or wrap menu fits a mixed crowd. The Build Your Own Sandwich Menu at $14.95 per person includes a deli tray with ham, turkey, and roast beef, three cheeses, assorted breads, red skin potato salad, fresh fruit, and a cookie tray. That’s a Wrap Menu at $15.95 features a Grilled Chicken Wrap, a Filet of Beef Wrap with feta cheese and tzatziki, and a Grilled Vegetable Wrap with hummus. Both work as an excellent choice for office lunches where one fixed menu won’t satisfy everyone.
A taco bar is interactive, customizable, and a hit with diverse tastes. The South of the Border Menu #1 at $15.95 per person includes chicken and ground beef tacos, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream, black beans, cilantro lime rice, tortilla chips with salsa, and churros for dessert. The Fajita menu at $16.95 layers in chicken and steak fajitas with peppers, onions, guacamole, and pico de gallo. The format scales well for large groups, corporate events, and social gatherings like baby showers.
For warm, family-style meals, Italian and Mediterranean buffets bring familiar flavors that work for almost any crowd. Catering By Design’s Italian Menus start at $14.95 per person, with options like Chicken Parmesan with Four Cheese Baked Ziti, Beef Lasagna with Penne Alfredo, or Pan Seared Chicken Florentine. The Mediterranean Menu at $14.95 features Greek Lemon Chicken Breast with steamed herb rice, marinated garbanzo bean salad, and Mediterranean green beans. Both menus pair vegetarian options with diet-friendly adjustments like gluten-free. The Mediterranean eating pattern is also recognized by the Mayo Clinic for its heart-healthy benefits.
A Southern comfort lunch buffet fits casual corporate events, community gatherings, and baby showers. Southern Menu #3 at $13.95 per person includes Memphis Style Bone-in Chicken, red skin mashed potatoes, collard greens, and corn bread muffins. Southern Menu #1 at $16.95 adds pulled pork with sauces and coleslaw plus homemade macaroni and cheese. Southern Menu #5 at $14.95 features Buttermilk Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, paired with romaine, strawberries, feta cheese, and candied walnuts.
For lighter lunches, wellness-focused workplace meals, or summer corporate events, the Build Your Own Soup and Salad Bar at $14.95 per person is a strong option. The fresh garden salad lets guests build their own plate with grilled chicken, chopped ham, diced egg, and red onion over greens. The soup of the day rotates between Chicken Tortilla, Chicken Noodle, Broccoli Cheddar, Vegetable Soup, Tomato Bisque, and White Chicken Chili. A baked potato bar add-on runs $4 per person.
Portion planning for catered lunches depends on format more than total guest count:
A few habits make catered office lunch and event planning go more smoothly:
Catering By Design has catered Triangle lunches since 2000, serving offices, training events, baby showers, corporate events, and social gatherings of every size. Your next corporate lunch might be a small team meeting in Cary or a large workplace gathering at a Raleigh headquarters. We build a custom menu around your guest count, dietary needs, and budget.
Every Catering By Design menu is fully customizable. Pick corporate boxed lunches starting at $12.95, hot buffets across Italian, Southern, and Mediterranean menus, or a build-your-own soup and salad bar for wellness-focused lunches. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly options work across every menu.
We’re a Leading Caterers of America member and the 2026 Cary Magazine Maggy Award winner for Best Caterer. To book a one-time office lunch or a recurring catering package, contact us today and our team will respond ASAP.
Order at least 3 to 5 business days ahead for boxed lunches and drop-off buffets. For large group lunches of over 100 guests, full-service catering, or events around the holidays, give 2 to 3 weeks of notice. Same-week orders may be possible for smaller drop-offs, but can limit your menu choices.
Catered lunch typically runs $12 to $20 per person for drop-off, $15 to $25 per person for buffet-style setup, and $30 or more per person for full-service catering with staff. Catering By Design’s corporate catering menu starts at $10.95 per person, with most boxed lunch and buffet options between $12.95 and $20.95.
Boxed lunches, sandwich platters, and the Build Your Own Soup and Salad Bar work well for small groups. They provide individual portions, accommodate dietary requirements, and require minimal setup. Catering By Design requires a 20-person minimum on most menus.
For 100 or more guests, buffet-style catering with multiple entrées and sides offers the most variety. Taco bars, Italian buffets, and Southern comfort spreads scale well for corporate events, employee appreciation lunches, and large workplace gatherings. Boxed lunches scale to large groups when individual meals are needed for assigned seating or strict timing.
Yes. Catering By Design offers drop-off lunch catering across the Triangle, including Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, and Morrisville. Choose disposable plates and flatware for a low-touch setup, or add a buffet setup service with chafing dishes for a more polished presentation.
