The Office Lunch Playbook: Trays, Boxes, or Hot Buffet?

Every office lunch is one of three formats. Pick the right one and you look organized; pick the wrong one and you’re shuttling plates while the meeting starts. Here is the decision, with the real prices attached.

Sandwich trays: the shared table

Trays are for lunches where people graze and talk: open houses, training days, all-hands with a buffet line. Sandwiches run $11.99 each plus a flat $5 tray charge, and for a dollar more per sandwich the crew wraps and labels each half so nobody plays sandwich roulette. Add a big salad ($45–$80, feeding 10 to 30) and the table builds itself.

Box lunches: the working meeting

Boxes win when everyone needs their own portion: client meetings, site visits, anything with a fixed seat count. They run $9.50 to $16.50 depending on the build, and any box upgrades to a whole sandwich for $6. No serving line, no cleanup, no counting who took two.

Hot buffet: the occasion

Quarter-end, a retirement, a big win: hot catering starts at $17.99 per person with 31 entrees on the board, includes three sides and the serviceware, and carries a 10-person minimum. Delivery inside Reno-Sparks is a flat $50 for hot meals, and the crew sets the line so the room eats on schedule.

“We ordered catering for a work business lunch from Paisan’s Old World Deli and it was absolutely delicious!”

— Brielle P. · Yelp

The standing order

The quiet superpower of Reno offices: a recurring weekly lunch, same day, same time, rotating menu. One setup call covers the quarter. It’s how half the business parks around Longley Lane eat, and it’s why the vans know the loading docks by heart. Jessie E. put it plainly in a review: “When we have customers in for visits, we order from Paisan’s. Their food is a big crowd pleaser and we appreciate their quick delivery.”

Cheat sheet

Prices reflect the printed menus as of July 2026 and can change; the quote you receive is the number that counts. More guides: What a Company Holiday Party Really Costs to Cater in Reno · Box Lunches for Job Sites and Field Crews: A Buyer's Guide · Breakfast Meetings That People Actually Show Up For.