Last-Minute Holiday Catering in Fredericksburg: What You Can Order with 24 Hours' Notice

Every December someone in an office somewhere in Fredericksburg finds out the holiday lunch is tomorrow and nobody ordered food. If that is you, the good news is that our catering menu is built around a short lead time. The rule is simple: catering orders must be placed and confirmed at least 24 hours before pickup. This post explains what that means in practice.

What "placed and confirmed" means

The clock starts when the order is confirmed, not when you send a request. A quote form submitted late at night, or a voicemail, is not a confirmed order. To use the full 24 hours, call us during business hours, go through the order, and make sure you hear back that it is confirmed for your pickup time.

So if you need food at noon on Thursday, the order needs to be confirmed by noon on Wednesday. Our kitchen opens at 11 am every day (until 10 pm Sunday through Thursday and 11 pm on Friday and Saturday), so calling as early as possible on the day before gives you the most room.

What you can order with 24 hours notice

The published lead time applies to our catering menu. Within it, you choose from the full list of trays on the catering menu: shawarma and gyro trays, kabobs by the skewer, dips and sides, pies and grape leaves by the dozen, rolled sandwich platters, salads, pasta trays and desserts.

December is still December, though. The 24 hours rule is the same for every catering order, including holidays and groups of 100 or more. We do not deliver catering on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day: Christmas Eve orders are pickup only, and we are closed on Christmas Day.

A fast menu that is easy to decide on

When time is short, the slowest step is usually deciding what to order. Skip the debate and pick one of these:

Lunch for 25

Qty	Item	Price
1	Chicken Shawarma, large tray	$120
1	Chicken Shawarma, small tray	$65
1	Rice, large tray	$50
1	Rice, small tray	$35
1	Greek Salad, large tray	$65
1	Greek Salad, small tray	$45
1	Hummus, large tray	$60
1	Hummus, small tray	$40
3	Tandoori Bread, dozen	$48
1	Baklava, large tray	$90
1	Baklava, small tray	$50
	Food total	$668
	Per guest	about $26.72

Food only, at today's menu prices, before tax and delivery ($10 to $30 by distance). Trays are counted at the low end of each size's range.

One protein, a side, a salad, a dip, bread and dessert. It covers most offices, and you can swap beef shawarma or gyro for the chicken without changing the shape of the order.

Lunch for 50 with a vegetarian option

Qty	Item	Price
2	Chicken Shawarma, large tray	$240
1	Falafel, dozen	$14
2	Rice, large tray	$100
1	Rice, small tray	$35
2	Fattoush Salad, large tray	$120
1	Fattoush Salad, small tray	$40
2	Hummus, large tray	$120
1	Hummus, small tray	$40
5	Tandoori Bread, dozen	$80
2	Baklava, large tray	$180
1	Baklava, small tray	$50
	Food total	$1,019
	Per guest	about $20.38

Food only, at today's menu prices, before tax and delivery ($10 to $30 by distance). Trays are counted at the low end of each size's range.

Falafel, hummus, rice and fattoush are marked vegan on our menu, so vegetarian and vegan guests have a full plate without a separate order.

Need a different headcount? The helper does the tray math:

How many trays do I need?

Enter your headcount and pick a dish for each course. We size every course to feed everyone once, using the low end of each tray's range.

Guests

Serve it as

Buffet trays Boxed lunches

MainChicken ShawarmaGyroBeef ShawarmaChicken skewersKafta skewersBeef skewersVegetable skewersMeat LasagnaChicken Fettuccine AlfredoBéchamel Pasta Bake SideNoneRiceRoasted PotatoesMixed VegetablesKousharyPenne RoséFettuccine Alfredo SaladNoneGreek SaladFattoush SaladTabouleh SaladLebanese SaladMediterranean SaladCaesar Salad ExtraNoneHummusBaba GhannougeTandoori BreadFalafelGrape LeavesSpinach PiesKibbie DessertNoneBaklavaKunafaRice PuddingTiramisu

• 1× Chicken Shawarma, large tray $120
• 1× Chicken Shawarma, small tray $65
• 1× Rice, large tray $50
• 1× Rice, small tray $35
• 1× Greek Salad, large tray $65
• 1× Greek Salad, small tray $45
• 3× Tandoori Bread, dozen $48
• 1× Baklava, large tray $90
• 1× Baklava, small tray $50

Food total $568 about $22.72 per guest

Before tax and delivery ($10 to $30 by distance). Prices from our current menu.

Request a quote for this order

Small trays serve 10–12 and large trays serve 20–22. If your headcount sits between sizes, round up. A little left over is better than a short line at the end.

What to skip when time is short

A short-notice order is not the time to build an elaborate spread. A few things keep it simple:

• Fewer dishes, bigger trays. A few large trays of one protein are easier to plan, pick up and serve than many small trays of different ones.
• Skip the custom requests. Order dishes as they appear on the menu. Special preparations take longer to discuss and confirm.
• Do not wait for final RSVPs. Order for your best estimate, rounded up. Waiting another day for replies can cost you the 24 hours window.
• Choose dishes that hold well. Rice, salads, hummus and rolled sandwich platters are forgiving if the party starts late.

A checklist for the phone call

Have these ready before you call (540) 372-7755, and the call will go quickly:

1. Headcount. A firm number, or your best estimate rounded up.
2. Pickup date and time. Leave 15 to 30 minutes between pickup and the start of the party.
3. The menu. One of the plans above, or the trays you picked from the menu.
4. Dietary needs. How many vegetarians or vegans, and any allergies we should know about.
5. A contact name and phone number for the person picking up.
6. A card for payment. An order placed less than 48 hours before the event is paid in full when you order. If your company needs an invoice instead, mention it when you call; invoicing needs prior approval from our staff.

Pickup or delivery

You can pick up at the restaurant at 9901 Southpoint Parkway, in the Southpoint area just off I-95 Exit 126, or we can deliver to your office or venue up to 50 miles away. Delivery is $10 for addresses within 20 miles of the restaurant, $20 for 20 to 40 miles and $30 for 40 to 50 miles. Drop-off is standard. Setup, wait staff and other services are available on request and priced with your quote. If you pick up, bring a helper if the order is large: a few full trays take up a car's back seat or trunk, and trays travel best flat.

On the day

• Clear a table before the food arrives. Trays need more room than you think.
• Have plates, napkins, serving spoons and a trash bag ready. We include plates, utensils, napkins, serving spoons and chafing dishes with the order.
• Keep hot food warm and put perishable food away within two hours of setting it out.

If you have less than 24 hours

We do not take catering orders with less than 24 hours notice, so we cannot promise a catering tray for tonight. Call (540) 372-7755 anyway and we will tell you what we can do. And if you are reading this with more time to spare, our office holiday party catering guide walks through the full timeline, and 5 holiday party menus has more ideas. The holiday party catering page collects everything in one place, and you can request a quote any time.