How much does office catering cost in Durham?

Three caterers on this list publish prices. Nosh charges $11.99 per person for a boxed lunch with a sandwich or wrap, house chips and a cookie. Catering by Design lists boxed lunches from $12.95, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free boxes at $14.95, and buffets from $13.95. The Original Q Shack runs from $11.50 for a sandwich and a side to $17.50 for two meats and three sides. Everyone else quotes on request.

Which Durham caterers take online orders?

Apple Spice, which serves Durham from its Morrisville kitchen, takes catering orders online, by phone or by email. Piper's in the Park lists an online order link on its catering page next to phone and email. Rocky Top's online store is only for Thanksgiving packages. Cannon, Catering by Design, Sage & Swift, Goorsha, Empire Eats, Hope Valley, Wilkerson and Chophouse start with an inquiry form, and Nosh and Q Shack take orders by phone or email.

How much notice do Durham caterers need?

It depends on the format. Apple Spice needs delivery orders one business day ahead, Piper's in the Park asks for 24 hours on emailed orders, and Nosh suggests 48 hours. Catering by Design delivers corporate orders Monday through Friday by 3pm. Rocky Top recommends booking two to four weeks out for most corporate events, with faster options for office drop-offs. Nosh orders cancelled within 24 hours may be charged in full.

Which caterers deliver to Chapel Hill, Raleigh and the rest of the Triangle?

Nosh delivers within 7 miles for $15 and charges $20 for Chapel Hill and $25 for Raleigh. Q Shack charges $20 in Durham and $30 to Chapel Hill or Raleigh, for orders of 40 or more. Apple Spice covers Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Morrisville and Cary. Catering by Design lists Durham, Chapel Hill, Morrisville, Cary and Apex. Cannon covers Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Apex, and Wilkerson serves Durham, Person and surrounding counties.

What are the order minimums for Durham catering?

Nosh needs 15 guests for cold items and 20 for hot food. Piper's in the Park has delivery minimums of $100 for breakfast and $150 for lunch. The Original Q Shack caters for 20 or more and delivers for 40 or more. Catering by Design sets a 20 person minimum on corporate menus. Sage & Swift serves groups from 12 up to about 350 to 400. Wilkerson charges a $500 minimum per event plus a $250 nonrefundable retainer.

Are there extra fees or taxes on catering in Durham?

Usually. North Carolina includes delivery charges in the taxable sales price, and Durham's combined sales tax rate is 7.5%. Apple Spice adds a 20% service charge that covers packaging, delivery and setup. Q Shack adds 10% for disposable chafing dishes with Sterno. Nosh charges $1 per person for tableware and passes along venue fees some meeting facilities charge outside caterers. Rocky Top says Triangle delivery averages $35 to $100, plus 3% for card payments.

Best Caterers in Durham, NC for Office & Corporate Catering

Best caterers in Durhamfor office & corporate catering

Durham office catering starts at $11.99 for a Nosh boxed lunch, and Catering by Design lists boxed lunches from $12.95. We checked 14 caterers and pulled the pricing, minimums, lead times and delivery areas each one actually publishes.

Caterers

Publish pricing

Order online

How we pick these caterers

This list is alphabetical, not ranked, and no caterer paid to be on it. We look for Durham restaurants and catering companies that publish a real catering menu, handle drop-off or delivery for groups, and come up again and again when local offices talk about who they order from.

Pricing, minimums, lead times and delivery areas come from each caterer's own website and were last checked in October 2026. Of the 14 listed, 3 publish pricing and 5 state a lead time. If a detail is missing, the caterer doesn't publish it. Confirm before you order. Spot something wrong or missing? Email us.

Office catering in Durham: what to expect

Durham's office demand splits between downtown, the Duke campuses and Research Triangle Park. Duke is the biggest employer in town, with more than 48,000 people across the university and health system, and RTP holds over 55,000 employees at more than 385 companies. The office market is uneven. Downtown Durham sat at 15.4% vacancy in the third quarter of 2026, while CBRE put South Durham at 24.4% and the RTP and I-40 corridor at 21.7%, partly because RTI left three buildings there. Nosh has fed the Duke side of town since 1999 from Erwin Road and Broad Street. Piper's in the Park sits on the edge of RTP. Goorsha is in the Brightleaf area, and Sage & Swift says it knows the hard-to-find buildings on campuses across Durham and Chapel Hill.

Only three of these caterers post real prices. Nosh charges $11.99 for a boxed lunch with a sandwich or wrap, chips and a cookie, with a 15 guest minimum for cold food and 20 for hot. The Original Q Shack runs $11.50 to $17.50 per person, but it only caters for 20 or more and delivers for 40 or more. Catering by Design lists boxed lunches from $12.95, buffets from $13.95 and a 20 person minimum on corporate menus. Lead times are short at the deli-style places. Nosh suggests 48 hours, Piper's asks for 24 and Apple Spice needs one business day. Rocky Top recommends two to four weeks for most corporate events. Apple Spice and Piper's take orders online, and Cannon, Sage & Swift and Empire Eats start with a quote form.

A few Durham specifics. North Carolina counts delivery charges as part of the taxable sales price, and the state has held that drop-off catering charges are taxable, so expect sales tax on the delivery line at Durham's 7.5% combined rate. Voters turned down a separate prepared food tax in 2008. Nosh charges $15 for delivery within 7 miles, $20 to Chapel Hill and $25 to Raleigh, and Q Shack charges $20 in Durham and $30 to Chapel Hill or Raleigh. Apple Spice adds a 20% service charge on catering menu orders. Wilkerson and Chophouse lean toward private events, and Wilkerson has a $500 event minimum. When the 35,000 square foot Durham Convention Center has a big event downtown, order early.

Common questions about catering in Durham

Best caterers in Durhamfor office & corporate catering

Nosh Durham

Piper's in the Park

The Original Q Shack

Hope Valley Diner & Catering Co.

Sage & Swift Gourmet Catering

Cannon Catering

Catering By Design

Goorsha

Apple Spice Catering

Rocky Top Catering

Byrd's BBQ

Empire Eats Catering

Wilkerson Catering & Co.

Chophouse BBQ & Catering