By the Little Italy Catering team · Updated · 6 min read
Which package and price should you use?
Italian Lunch Essentials is $13.95/person, minimum 10 guests. It includes one pasta, lasagna or other listed entrée, italian garden salad, garlic bread. Cookies, desserts, drinks and additional proteins are not included. Delivery and 13% HST are additional. Optional extras are charged separately.
Italian Lunch Essentials: minimum 10 guests; Signature Italian Buffet: minimum 10 guests; Italian Feast Buffet: minimum 15 guests.
- Italian Lunch Essentials — $13.95/person: One pasta, lasagna or other listed entrée; Italian garden salad; Garlic bread.
- Signature Italian Buffet — $17.95/person: Chicken, meatball or other listed entrée; Italian salad; Garlic ciabatta.
- Italian Feast Buffet — $22.95/person: Choice of entrée; Two sides or salads; Garlic bread; Optional dessert upgrade, quoted separately.
There is no complimentary cookie, dessert, drink or additional protein in Essentials. Optional extras are selected and charged separately. Do not add a second charge for food already included in your chosen package.
What does a 30-guest order cost?
The following planning examples include the food, one standard Toronto delivery and 13% HST, with no optional extras preselected.
| Menu | Food | Delivery | HST | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Lunch Essentials | $418.50 | $40 | $59.61 | $518.11 |
| Signature Italian Buffet | $538.50 | $40 | $75.21 | $653.71 |
| Italian Feast Buffet | $688.50 | $40 | $94.71 | $823.21 |
The written quote confirms the actual delivery fee, selected extras and availability. See the full menu, pricing breakdown, pan sizes and prices or calculate a different headcount.
Compare grocery party trays and delivered catering by what your guests will eat, the total cost and the work involved. Store menus, pickup options and lead times vary, so confirm those locally. This guide explains the comparison method and our own buffet prices without claiming current prices or service terms for another retailer.
What are you actually comparing?
A store party platter is usually a cold, ready-to-eat tray: sandwiches or wraps, a veggie or fruit platter, a cheese board, a shrimp ring, or sometimes a hot item you collect and reheat. You order ahead or pick from the cooler, collect it yourself and serve it as is.
A delivered catering buffet, like ours, is a hot meal: pastas, a main, salad, bread and often dessert, delivered in disposable catering trays with serving utensils and dish labels and set up for self-serve. It is priced per guest rather than per tray.
They overlap, but they are not the same product. Platters are often snacks or a light meal; a buffet is dinner.
How do they compare side by side?
Neither column wins every row. Store terms vary. Compare the local supplier’s actual lead time, menu, portion guidance and pickup or delivery options with the catered order you need. Which matters more depends on the party, so the next two sections look at when each one makes sense.
When are grocery party trays the better choice?
Being honest, picking up platters makes sense when:
- You want snacks, not a meal. An open house where people drop in for an hour, or an afternoon event between meals, doesn't need hot pasta.
- It's last-minute. We need at least 48 hours' notice. If the party is tomorrow and you can't wait, check locally for an available option rather than assuming a store can supply an order at short notice.
- You're already driving past. If the store is on your way and you have room in the car, there is no delivery fee to pay.
- You want a side or a dessert to round out a meal you are cooking yourself.
When is a delivered hot buffet the better choice?
- Guests expect a meal. For a dinner party at home, shower, birthday or office lunch, a cold tray of sandwiches can feel thin. Hot pasta, a main and sides read as a proper meal.
- You don't want to drive or reheat. Collecting several large trays, keeping them level in the car and then reheating hot items in a home oven takes time on the day you have the least of it.
- You have mixed dietary needs. We label every dish, and you can send meat-free counts and allergies in advance; we confirm ingredients per order and tell you whether we can support a request. We don't make blanket allergen guarantees, but you do get a conversation before the event rather than a label to decode.
- The group meets the selected package minimum. Per-guest pricing means the order scales exactly with your headcount, with no guessing how many people a tray feeds.
- You want serving sorted. Serving utensils and labels arrive with the food, so there is nothing to hunt for in the kitchen drawer.
How do you compare the cost fairly?
Comparing a tray price with a per-guest price is apples and oranges unless you put them on the same basis. Use this worksheet for whatever you are considering:
- Cost per guest. Divide the platter price by the number of people it will realistically feed as a meal, not as a snack.
- Add everything you'd need for a full meal. A sandwich platter may need salads, a hot dish and dessert alongside it.
- Add tax where it applies. Our 13% HST is shown on every quote; check how your store charges tax on prepared food.
- Count supplies. Serving tools, plates and napkins.
- Value your time. The drive, the pickup line and the reheating are real costs on a busy day.
For reference, here is what a full hot meal costs from us, all-in, delivered in Toronto:
What about trays from a caterer?
We offer both individual pans and per-person buffets. The new premium menu lists half pans serving 10–12 and full pans serving 18–20, while buffet packages list the courses included for each guest. A tray of one dish is not a complete buffet meal. See the Italian buffet packages for what each level includes.
The short version
- For a snack-only order or an event inside our notice period, compare suitable collection options.
- For a group meal that meets the chosen package minimum, compare the food, delivery and setup required before deciding.
- Somewhere in between: combine a buffet with a store-bought dessert or fruit tray.
- Not sure? Price both on a per-guest, full-meal basis before you decide.
If a buffet fits, request a quote at least 48 hours ahead, or read our guide to small home party catering.
What should you confirm with a grocery or warehouse store?
Check the current local menu, serving guidance, ingredients, lead time and collection arrangements. Divide the actual full-meal total by your headcount rather than comparing one tray price with a complete catered buffet. Prices and availability from another country or an old menu may not apply to your store.
What should you send with a quote request?
Send the event date, serving time, number of guests, selected menu, address and dietary needs. List requested extras separately so the food already included in the package remains clear. Mention parking, loading, elevators or security check-in and provide an on-site contact.
Minimum 48 hours’ notice. Order cut-off: noon, two days before your order date. Your written quote confirms availability. Your request is an enquiry, not an automatic booking. The team confirms the menu and availability before you approve the written quote.
