Planning a Coffee Break with Koffee Katering
Need coffee, a snack, and a little break from the meeting? We’ve got you.
A coffee break can mean a lot of things.
Maybe you’re running an afternoon class and want to give everyone a little caffeine and something to eat. Maybe you’re hosting a conference and need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Maybe you’re between meetings and want coffee, tea and a few snacks waiting for people when they walk in.
Whatever the reason, a coffee break is pretty simple.
Think of it as a snack—rather than a full meal.
Our coffee break packages are designed to give people something to drink and something to nibble on. If you want something more substantial, that’s easy, too: start with a coffee break and add some food.
And if you’re running a multi-day event, you can use different packages and add-ons to make each break feel different.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
How far in advance should I order?
We generally prefer at least two business days’ notice, although we strongly recommend ordering earlier whenever possible—especially for larger events.
If your event is on a Wednesday, for example, you can make changes to your order up until noon on Monday.
Can we take an order with less notice? Sometimes, yes. We can often accommodate last-minute orders, but late orders or changes may involve an additional fee, and we can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to accommodate everything you’d like.
Our advice: If you know about the event, order early. You can always adjust the headcount and details later.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
- A 10:30 AM conference break
- A 10:30 AM conference break
- A 10:30 AM conference break
- A 10:30 AM conference break
- A 10:30 AM conference break
- A 10:30 AM conference break
- A 10:30 AM conference break
How many people should I order for?
This is probably the single most important decision you’ll make.
Don’t order for the number of people you hope will come. Order for the number you reasonably expect to come.
If you expect 20 people, we’d generally suggest ordering for about 22.
Expecting 50? Consider ordering for 52–55.
We do put a little extra food into most jobs as a cushion, but that doesn’t mean we can feed an additional 20 people who unexpectedly show up.
And please don’t second-guess the quantities we’ve calculated for you.
If you know that 25 people are coming, but order for 20 because you think, “Surely Koffee Katering must be giving us too much food,” you’re likely to be disappointed when there isn’t enough.
If you know 25 people are coming, order for 25—or even 27.
Our portions are designed around the average person. If you have a group of particularly enthusiastic eaters, increase the headcount or add some additional food.
A group of college football players, for example, may have somewhat different breakfast requirements than a room full of professors at an 8:30 AM faculty meeting.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
Choosing a Koffee Katering breakfast package
We offer several different breakfast packages, so you don’t have to build a breakfast from scratch.See all of our current breakfast packages.
Here’s a quick guide to the choices:
🥯 Basic Breakfast
Just give them breakfast.
Our Zero Landfill Basic Breakfast is the straightforward, economical choice.
It includes fresh bagels with cream cheese, butter and hummus, freshly baked muffins and scones, plus organic coffee and decaf.
It’s a good choice for a morning meeting when you want a solid breakfast without going overboard.
🍓 Continental Breakfast
Let’s give them some choices.
The Zero Landfill Continental Breakfast steps things up with bagels, muffins, scones, pretzel rolls, chocolate croissants and a four-fruit platter.
It also includes coffee, decaf, organic tea and cucumber-mint spa water.
This is a great all-purpose breakfast for meetings, conferences and groups where you want a little more variety.
🥣 Deluxe Continental
Let’s make this a nice breakfast.
The Zero Landfill Deluxe Continental Breakfast adds a yogurt-granola parfait bar and fruit to the continental spread, along with orange juice and spa water.
It’s a particularly good choice when breakfast is an important part of the meeting rather than just something sitting in the corner.
🥯 Basic Breakfast
Just give them breakfast.
Our Zero Landfill Basic Breakfast is the straightforward, economical choice.
It includes fresh bagels with cream cheese, butter and hummus, freshly baked muffins and scones, plus organic coffee and decaf.
It’s a good choice for a morning meeting when you want a solid breakfast without going overboard.
🥣 Deluxe Continental
Let’s make this a nice breakfast.
The Zero Landfill Deluxe Continental Breakfast adds a yogurt-granola parfait bar and fruit to the continental spread, along with orange juice and spa water.
It’s a particularly good choice when breakfast is an important part of the meeting rather than just something sitting in the corner.
🥐 Premium Breakfast
Okay, we’re really doing breakfast.
Our Premium Breakfast is our most substantial and interesting breakfast package.
You get choices that can include croissant breakfast sandwiches or a parfait bar, fruit or tea sandwiches, bacon or sausage hash, cinnamon rolls and chia pudding, along with coffee, decaf, tea and additional beverage choices.
This is the breakfast to choose when you want your guests to say, “Wow, this is a pretty good breakfast.”
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
Don’t forget
dietary needs
If you have guests who need Gluten-Free or Vegan food, please don’t try to solve this by ordering less of the regular food.
Instead, tell us how many individual Vegan or Gluten-Free meals you need.
For example: →
“We’re ordering breakfast for 50 people. Two people need Vegan meals and one person needs Gluten-Free.”
We’ll provide those meals separately.
Please give us this information when you place the order so we can plan appropriately.
Important: Our kitchen is not a dedicated gluten-free facility, so while we offer Gluten-Free choices, there is always some risk of cross-contamination. Guests with severe gluten allergies or medical requirements should take this into consideration.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What about water?
This depends on the package you’ve selected.
Some breakfast packages include water, while others do not. If your package includes tea, hot water for the tea is included.
If you want additional water or beverages, you can add them to your order.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
How much coffee and tea do we need?
For a typical morning event, our standard coffee mix is approximately:
80% regular coffee
20% decaf
That’s a good starting point for most groups.
Afternoon events tend to be closer to 50/50 regular and decaf.
We also provide tea with packages that include tea. If you’re expecting a group that drinks a lot of tea, or you know your guests are serious tea drinkers, let us know.
How long does the coffee last?
Our coffee comes in insulated containers designed to keep it hot and fresh for approximately three hours.
We bring the appropriate amount of coffee for the number of people you’ve ordered for—we don’t simply send a certain number of containers based on the headcount.
If your event begins at 7:00 AM and runs until lunchtime, however, you may want to think about additional coffee or arranging for a coffee refresh around 9:30–10:00 AM.
If your event is going to run for several hours, tell us. We’ll help you figure out what makes sense.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
Want to make the break more substantial?
This is where the fun starts.
Start with a coffee break. Then add food.
🍇 Cut fruit platter
🥕 Vegetables & hummus
🧀 Cheese & cracker platter
🍫 Other snack items
Adding one or two items can make a standard coffee break more substantial and give guests more variety.
Classic Coffee Break + Fruit platter
Now you’ve got coffee, sweets and something fresh.
Healthy Break + Cheese & crackers
Now you’ve got a little more substance.
Coffee & Tea + Cookies + fruit
Now you’ve got a simple, inexpensive break with more food variety.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
Do I need to provide plates, cups, forks, knives, napkins, etc.?
Usually, no.
Our Zero Landfill breakfast packages are designed to be all-inclusive. They include the plates, flatware, cups and other supplies needed to serve the food, along with a tablecloth and compost bin.
Delivery, setup, pickup and cleanup are also included in the package pricing unless specifically noted otherwise.
In other words, you don’t need to go shopping for 75 forks the night before your meeting.
We’ve got the forks.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
How many tables do I need?
You provide the tables.
If you don’t have tables available, we can provide them for an additional fee.
As a general guideline:
Event
Coffee/tea only — 50 people
Basic breakfast — 50 people
More substantial breakfast — 50 people
Approximate tables needed
1 × 8-foot table
2 × 8-foot tables
3 × 8-foot tables
The actual number depends on how much food you’re ordering and how many people you’re feeding.
Food table + beverage table = happier people
Whenever possible, put beverages on a separate table from the food.
Why?
Because people getting coffee shouldn’t have to fight their way through a line of people trying to get bagels.
For a 20-person meeting, it probably doesn’t matter.
For 100+ people, it matters a lot.
If space allows, put the beverage table somewhere separate from the food table.
Do I have to set everything up?
Nope.
That’s one of the nice things about using Koffee Katering.
Our staff will bring everything into the room, arrange the tables, put down the tablecloths, set up the plates and flatware, arrange the food and beverages, and generally make everything look like an actual catered breakfast rather than a pile of boxes that just arrived.
Our goal is to have everything ready to go about 15 minutes before your event begins.
As a general rule:
Small/simple event: we’ll arrive about 30 minutes before the event.
40–60 people / moderately complicated breakfast: about 45 minutes beforehand.
100+ people: plan on approximately an hour for setup.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What do I need to tell Koffee Katering?
When placing your order, there is a place in the order form for comments and special instructions.
Use it.
If there is anything unusual about getting into the building or getting to the room, tell us.
For example:
• “Use the side entrance.”
• “The building is locked; call this person.”
• “Take the elevator to the third floor.”
• “Please set up outside Room 204.”
• “The event is in the courtyard.”
• “The food needs to be set up in a particular location.”
We can accommodate a lot of things. We just need to know about them before we arrive, rather than discovering them when we’re standing outside a locked door with 100 breakfasts in the van.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What should I check when we finish setting up?
We are good at this.
We’ve done it thousands of times.
But we’re also human.
So once we’ve finished setting everything up, take about 30 seconds to walk along the table and make sure everything looks right.
Check that you have:
• Plates
• Forks, knives and other flatware
• Cups
• Serving utensils
• Food labels
• Any Gluten-Free or Vegan meals
• Coffee and tea
• A compost bin somewhere guests can easily see it
If something seems to be missing, tell us before the event starts.
It’s much easier to fix a missing serving spoon while our driver is still there than after 50 people have started serving themselves.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What happens when the event is over?
When you place your order, you’ll give us an approximate time when you expect the event to finish.
We generally plan to return about 30 minutes after the event ends.
The more flexibility you can give us, the better.
For example:
“Please pick up between 2:00 and 4:00 PM.”
is much easier for us to schedule than:
“You must be here at exactly 2:30 PM.”
We have a pretty full pickup schedule, so a two-hour pickup window is enormously helpful.
That said, if another event is starting immediately after yours and the room must be cleared within 30 minutes, tell us. We’ll do our best to hit the tighter window.
And if the delivery or pickup seems to be running late, contact Andrea at (203) 809-1382.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What about a large or formal event?
For a large event—or an event where you want the food area to stay looking great throughout—we can provide an Event Attendant for an additional fee.
The Event Attendant stays with the catering area, keeps the buffet looking good, clears used plates and cups, keeps things organized and generally makes sure the food service area doesn’t gradually turn into a disaster zone.
For a large conference, formal event or long meeting, this can be a very worthwhile addition.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
Please don’t move our equipment
This is important.
Our bowls, platters, serving utensils, coffee equipment and other catering equipment are reusable—and some of it is surprisingly expensive.
Please leave everything where we set it up.
If you absolutely have to move something, please tell the person who delivered and set up the event where everything has been moved.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
For example:
You can also contact Andrea and let her know. She can pass the information along to the driver who will be picking everything up.
If you find some Koffee Katering equipment after we’ve already left, please contact Andrea at (203) 809-1382 and we’ll arrange to pick it up.
What about leftovers?
You have two choices.
“We’d like to keep them.”
Great.
Our drivers are happy to pack up your leftovers when they return.
Please provide bags—ideally Ziplock-style bags—for transferring the food.
Don’t have bags?
No problem. Tell Andrea when you place the order and we’ll add them to the pickup list.
“We don’t want the leftovers.”
That’s fine, too.
We’ll make sure the leftover food goes into the compost stream rather than the landfill.
One important request: Please don’t use our serving bowls, platters, serving spoons or other equipment as your personal leftover containers.
We need those things back.
If equipment is missing when we pick up, we’ll politely ask you to reimburse us for the missing equipment.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What happens during pickup?
Our drivers will:
• Take down the catering setup
• Collect our equipment
• Pack up leftovers if requested
• Remove the catering materials
• Clean up the immediate catering area
They will not walk around the entire room collecting every coffee cup and plate that your guests have left behind.
Their primary responsibility is the catering area itself.
So if someone takes a plate of food to the other side of the building and leaves it there, that’s not something our pickup driver will necessarily find.
For larger or formal events, an Event Attendant is the better choice if you want someone actively monitoring and cleaning the food service area throughout the event.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What if I need to cancel?
Our cancellation policy is straightforward:
More than 2 business days before delivery:
No cancellation charge.
Up to 1 business day before delivery:
50% of the final price is charged.
Less than 1 business day before delivery:
100% of the final price is charged.
The reason is simple: by the time we get close to your event, we’ve already purchased ingredients, scheduled employees and committed our kitchen and delivery resources to your job.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
What if I need to cancel?
Our cancellation policy is straightforward:
More than 2 business days before delivery:
No cancellation charge.
Up to 1 business day before delivery:
50% of the final price is charged.
Less than 1 business day before delivery:
100% of the final price is charged.
The reason is simple: by the time we get close to your event, we’ve already purchased ingredients, scheduled employees and committed our kitchen and delivery resources to your job.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
The five things we really want you to remember
1.
Order for the number of people you actually expect.
Don’t knowingly order for 20 when you know 25 people are coming.
2.
Think about how hungry your guests will be.
An 8 AM breakfast is different from a 10:30 AM coffee meeting.
3.
Tell us about special circumstances.
Building access, unusual setup locations, Vegan/GF meals, tight pickup deadlines—tell us in the order comments.
4.
Days
You provide the tables, or we can provide them for an additional fee.
6.
50 people - Everyone is getting on a bus.
A two-hour pickup window makes our lives much easier—and helps us keep our delivery and pickup schedules running smoothly.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382
The easiest way to order a coffee break
If you’re new to catering, think about it this way:
-
Consider when your guests will be eating and how much time there is between meals.
-
Yes: Choose a regular Zero Landfill coffee break.
No: Consider a boxed break.
-
Classic: Something everyone will enjoy.
Healthy: Something a little lighter.
Seasonal: Something more interesting.
Coffee & Tea: Mostly caffeine.
-
Add fruit, hummus and vegetables, cookies, cheese and crackers, or other appropriate food.
-
Remember that one coffee serving is approximately 1.3 cups.
If you think people will want more, add more coffee/decaf.
For afternoon events, think approximately 50% regular and 50% decaf.
And don’t forget tea.
-
Change the package or add-ons from day to day.
-
We’ll deliver it, set it up, and take it down.
Don’t overthink the coffee break.
Start with a package. Add a little fruit, maybe some hummus, cheese and crackers, or cookies. Add coffee and tea for the afternoon. And if you’re doing this for three or four days, change things up so that your guests don’t feel like they’re experiencing the exact same break every day. That’s the beauty of a Koffee Katering coffee break. Start with the basics, make it your own, and let us take care of the work.
Need to talk to a real person? Call Andrea at (203) 809-1382