By the Little Italy Catering team · Updated · 7 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.
Little Italy Catering requires at least 48 hours’ notice for buffets, the pasta bar and lunch boxes. This is the minimum time to request an available order, not a guaranteed delivery slot. Use the timeline below to prepare your menu, headcount, access details and any extra service before approving the written quote.
What is the minimum notice for catering?
We need at least 48 hours' notice for every order: buffets, the pasta bar and boxed lunches. That time covers confirming the menu and dietary details, buying ingredients, preparing the food and scheduling the delivery.
Notice alone doesn't secure a date, though. Our team checks availability for your menu, date and location and sends a written quote. The order is confirmed after you approve that quote. Until then, an order 48 hours out is a request, not a booking. We don't offer same-day catering.
When should you order earlier than 48 hours?
A routine team lunch still needs availability confirmation, even when the request meets the minimum. Several situations call for more time:
- December. Office Christmas lunches and family holiday parties all compete for the same weeks. Book as soon as your date is set; see our Christmas office party catering guide.
- Weekends and holidays. Ask about the specific date; holiday availability is confirmed in the quote.
- Weddings and venue events. You'll want time to check that the venue allows a delivered self-serve buffet and to confirm parking, elevators, loading time and where the buffet goes.
- Extras beyond standard service. Chafing equipment, serving staff and requested setup are quoted separately and must be confirmed before booking.
- Complex dietary or allergy needs. We confirm ingredients and whether we can support each request before accepting an order, which can take a little longer.
How far ahead should you book for different events?
These are our suggestions, not deadlines. The 48-hour minimum applies to all of them, and availability is always confirmed in your written quote.
Why does a caterer need advance notice at all?
A restaurant cooks to order from what is already in the kitchen. Catering works the other way round: the kitchen plans each order from your headcount. Notice gives time to:
- Plan quantities. Fifty servings of Chicken Parmesan for an office, or lasagna for a family party, are prepared to your headcount, so the kitchen needs the number before it starts.
- Check dietary requests properly. If a guest has an allergy, the team needs time to confirm ingredients and whether the request can be supported before accepting the order.
- Plan the delivery. Arrival windows, routes and building access are organized around every order going out that day.
- Answer questions. A quote often prompts a back-and-forth about selections or add-ons, and that conversation is easier with time to spare.
How does notice work for recurring office lunches?
If your team wants lunch every week or every other week, send us the frequency, headcount, address and preferred menus once, up front. Each date's availability, menu and price is still confirmed per order, so treat every date as its own order with the usual 48-hour minimum. Request the next date early enough to allow its own availability and menu confirmation. No recurring discount is promised unless it is written in your approved quote. The office catering page covers regular orders in more detail.
What should you have ready when you order?
A complete request gets a complete quote. Before you request a quote, gather:
- Date and meal time: when guests will eat, not just when the event starts
- Format and package: a buffet package, the pasta bar or lunch boxes; the menu lists every choice
- Selections: your pastas and main, or box choices
- Dietary needs: meat-free counts and every allergy
- Delivery address: full address, suite or unit
- Access notes: parking or loading, elevator, security or concierge, and an on-site contact
- Extras: whether you want chafing equipment, staff or setup quoted
- Occasion: it helps us suggest the right package
What happens after you place the order?
- You send the request on the website with the details above.
- We confirm the details: menu, guest count, date, dietary needs and availability.
- You get a written quote with food, delivery, add-ons and 13% HST shown separately.
- You approve it and receive an invoice. The written quote takes precedence over any figure on our website.
- We deliver hot in disposable catering trays with serving utensils and dish labels, set up for self-serve.
Payment is due on the event date unless your approved quote or invoice says otherwise. The how it works page covers each step in more detail.
What if your headcount changes after you order?
It happens all the time, especially for parties and December events. Tell us as soon as you know, and we'll confirm whether the order and quote can be updated. The closer to the event, the harder changes are to accommodate, which is one more reason to request the quote early with a realistic estimate and confirm the final number before you approve it.
Can you order at the last minute?
Not with less than 48 hours' notice. If you're inside that window, the honest answer is that we can't take the order. Plan ahead next time by saving this checklist:
- Set the date and meal time.
- Estimate the headcount and dietary needs.
- Choose a package or format.
- Gather the delivery address and access notes.
- Request a quote at least 48 hours ahead, earlier for large, December, weekend or venue events.
- Confirm the final headcount and approve the written quote.
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.
