Office lunch sandwich catering

Make sandwiches and wraps to pre-order and deliver to offices, meetings and events.

Staff preparing fresh sandwiches and wraps behind a counter in a small takeaway shop.
Startup costC$3k to C$15k
Monthly revenueC$2k to C$10k
Time needed15+ h/week
First incomeMonths
  • C$3k-15k
  • Part-time
  • Out and about
  • Licence or permit needed

Estimates for a small start in Canada, not guarantees.

What it is

A pre-order sandwich and wrap service for office lunches, meetings and small events, prepared in a licensed kitchen and delivered to the client. There is no shopfront.

Your first three steps

  1. Find a licensed commercial or shared kitchen to rent by the hour, and ask your public health unit what approval you need
  2. Create a simple menu of platters and boxed lunches with a minimum order and a cut-off time
  3. Offer a free tasting to local office managers and ask for a trial weekly order
Who pays

Offices, clinics, schools, community groups and event organizers ordering for groups.

How it makes money

Per-person lunch boxes or platters, often with regular weekly orders from the same offices. Delivery fees can be added.

Skills that help
  • Batch food preparation and packaging
  • Organizing orders and delivery timing
  • Selling to office managers and assistants
Watch out for
  • Most areas do not allow selling this kind of food from a home kitchen; check with your public health unit
  • Commercial general liability insurance, including cover for food and delivery
  • Food handler certification and allergen controls
  • Delivery vehicle insurance and cold storage during transport
  • Whether you need to charge GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold

Deep research report · Canada

Everything you need to start: office lunch sandwich catering

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
Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start a sandwich catering business?

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on kitchen access, packaging, cold storage, insurance and delivery setup. These are estimates, so price your own kitchen and vehicle needs.

How much can an office lunch catering business earn?

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on how many offices and events you serve and your pricing. Many owners start from about 15 hours a week.

Can I make catering sandwiches from my home kitchen in Canada?

Most areas do not allow selling this kind of food from a home kitchen, so check with your public health unit. Also check food handler certification, allergen controls, liability and vehicle insurance, cold storage in transport, and GST/HST.

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