Start an office and corporate lunch catering business
Supply sandwiches, hot lunches and meeting platters to local offices, cooked in a rented commercial kitchen.
- C$3k-15k
- Part-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.
What it is
You prepare lunches, breakfast spreads and meeting platters for workplaces, delivering them on time. You usually rent time in a shared or commissary kitchen and deliver by vehicle.
Your first three steps
- Find a commissary or shared commercial kitchen near you and ask about hourly rates and what approvals they need from you
- Create a one-page menu with per-person prices and a minimum order, then test the food with a few friendly offices
- Visit or email local offices within a short delivery radius and offer a sample lunch for a team meeting
Who pays
Offices, clinics, real estate and law firms, training providers and event organizers booking meals for meetings and staff days.
How it makes money
A price per person or per order, often with repeat weekly or monthly bookings. Delivery fees and minimum orders help cover costs.
Skills that help
- Batch cooking and packing
- Delivery scheduling
- Sales and relationship building
- Food safety and allergen awareness
Watch out for
- Your food premises must be approved by the local public health unit, check whether the shared kitchen's permit covers your activity
- Food handler certification may be required, check your province
- Commercial general liability insurance plus vehicle insurance covering business use of your car or van
- Late deliveries and order mistakes can lose a client quickly
- Winter driving can disrupt delivery, plan buffer time and backup options
- Register for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold; check what applies to prepared food
Deep research report · Canada
Everything you need to start: office and corporate lunch caterer
Researched with live web search for Canada: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start an office lunch catering business?
Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000 CAD, depending on kitchen rental, packaging, delivery vehicle needs and insurance. Get quotes for your own setup before you commit.
How much can an office lunch caterer earn per month?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many regular clients you win, order sizes and how many days you deliver. Revenue is before food, kitchen rental and vehicle costs.
What should I check before starting a corporate lunch catering business?
Check that your premises are approved by the local public health unit, and whether a shared kitchen's permit covers your activity. Also check food handler certification, commercial general and vehicle insurance, and GST/HST rules for prepared food.
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