Frequently Asked Questions

Zerocater makes it easy for companies to feed their employees and build a better workplace through food. We offer corporate catering, event catering, and fully managed corporate cafeterias, all powered by top local restaurants in your city.

We serve teams across the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Seattle, Denver, Dallas, and Atlanta. Browse all locations or explore our full catering partner directory.

Zerocater offers two ways to get started, depending on your needs.

For events and one-time catering, use CaterAi, our AI-powered planning tool. Share your event details (date, headcount, budget, dietary needs) and CaterAi builds custom menus from over 1,000 vetted local restaurants. You can chat to adjust items, add onsite staff and decor, then check out with a credit card or corporate ACH. Our ops team handles execution from there.

For recurring meal programs, you are paired with a dedicated account manager who learns your team’s tastes, preferences, and dietary restrictions. Your account manager curates menus from our local restaurant partners and manages ordering, delivery, and setup on an ongoing basis.

Learn more about how it works.

Pricing varies by menu selection, headcount, service style, and location. For reference, corporate lunch catering typically ranges from $15 to $30+ per person depending on cuisine, headcount, and service style. Event catering with onsite staff and decor will be on the higher end.

The fastest way to see pricing for your specific needs is to use CaterAi, which lets you instantly build menus and see costs as you customize. For recurring meal programs, your dedicated account manager will tailor each menu to your budget.

Gratuity and delivery fees are included in the pricing you see. We accept payment by ACH, check, and credit card. Orders paid by credit card incur a 3% processing fee.

For city-specific pricing benchmarks, check out our cost guides for San Francisco and New York City.

Yes. Gratuity and delivery fees are included in the pricing you see in CaterAi and from your dedicated account manager. There are no hidden fees or surprise charges at checkout. The only additional cost is a 3% processing fee for orders paid by credit card.

This all-inclusive pricing makes it easy to budget for your team’s meals without worrying about tipping, service charges, or delivery surcharges.

Lead times vary by market, restaurant availability, and the size of your request. CaterAi shows you available options and delivery windows as soon as you enter your event details, so you can see exactly what is available for your date.

As a general rule, the sooner you plan, the more restaurant options you will have to choose from. For large events or those requiring onsite staff and decor, we recommend planning ahead to secure your preferred vendors.

Zerocater has no universal headcount or budget minimums. Individual culinary partners may have their own order minimums, which are displayed when you browse options in CaterAi. This means you can find catering options that fit groups of any size, from a small team lunch to a company-wide event.

Yes. Our network of over 1,000 restaurant partners covers all meal types and occasions, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, happy hour, and dessert bars. We offer more than 30 cuisine types to choose from.

Use CaterAi to plan any meal type for your team, or work with your account manager to set up recurring meals throughout the day.

Yes. Zerocater allows for customization of menus, cuisine, and even personalization based on employee preferences or dietary restrictions. If you need to adjust an existing order, contact your account manager by phone or email. Our restaurant partners need advance notice to prepare changes, so try to make adjustments as soon as possible.

For complete details, view our cancellation and supplemental food policy.

We hand-select independently owned restaurants, caterers, food trucks, and private chefs in each of the cities we operate. We believe local food entrepreneurs bring a strong sense of pride to their business, resulting in a better overall product than a national chain.

You may find your favorite neighborhood spot in our catering partner directory, but there may also be names you have not heard of. Our selection spans more than 30 cuisine types, including BBQ, sushi, Italian, Mediterranean, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Korean, and more. Browse caterers by city to see what is available in your area.

Zerocater offers multiple service styles to fit your occasion:

Buffet and family-style: Dishes are set up on a serving table and your team serves themselves. This is our most popular option for groups of 20 or more. Our onsite staff handles setup, replenishment, and cleanup.

Boxed meals: Individually packaged meals, perfect for meetings, hybrid teams, or grab-and-go situations. Team members can select their own meal through our platform.

Full-service and plated: Onsite servers plate and serve courses for a more formal experience. Available for events through CaterAi, which also lets you add staffing, bartenders, and themed decor.

Learn more about our event catering services.

Yes. Our restaurant partners offer a wide range of dietary options, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, kosher, and halal menus. CaterAi lets you filter by dietary need when building your menu, so every dish fits your team’s requirements.

Every meal is labeled with dietary information and allergens noted. For recurring meal programs, your dedicated account manager tracks your team’s dietary restrictions and builds menus accordingly.

For more guidance, check out our blog guides on vegan office catering and ordering catering for mixed dietary needs.

Yes. Sustainability is built into how Zerocater operates:

Local sourcing: We partner exclusively with local, independently owned restaurants in each city we serve. This reduces supply chain distance and supports community businesses.

Reduced food waste: Our team portions every meal to your exact headcount, minimizing over-ordering and food waste. For recurring programs, your account manager refines portions over time based on actual consumption.

Eco-friendly packaging: Many of our culinary partners use compostable, recyclable, or biodegradable packaging. When this is a priority for your team, let us know and we can prioritize partners with sustainable packaging practices.

Diverse and inclusive sourcing: Our vendor network includes Black-owned restaurants, women-owned businesses, and other minority-owned culinary partners. If supporting diverse entrepreneurs is important to your company, we can highlight these options when building your menus.

Browse our catering partner directory to explore options in your city.

Our service is highly customizable. For events, CaterAi lets you browse full menus with pricing, pick specific dishes, swap items, adjust portions, and add courses through a simple chat interface. You are in full control of what goes on the menu.

For recurring meal programs, your dedicated account manager handles menu curation. These individuals come from event planning, hospitality, and restaurant industry backgrounds, and are well-versed in our vendors’ offerings. If you have a specific request, your account manager will work with you to bring your vision to the table.

Zerocater provides an all-inclusive service. Each meal comes complete with menu curation, delivery, and setup, with plates, utensils, and napkins provided. All meals are presented family-style unless instructed otherwise. Labels are provided for each dish, with dietary restrictions noted.

For events booked through CaterAi, you can also add onsite service staff who handle setup, food replenishment, and cleanup. Learn more about our full-service event catering.

Our team are experts in portioning each dish to headcount. A typical spread will include a vegetable, starch, and 4 to 6 ounces of protein per person. If your team prefers an additional protein, fewer starchy sides, or more greens, we can make those adjustments.

To get started, have the following ready:

For events via CaterAi: event date, time, delivery address, headcount, budget, and any dietary needs or preferences. CaterAi walks you through everything step by step.

For recurring meal programs: estimated headcount, meal frequency (daily, weekly, etc.), cuisine preferences, dietary restrictions, and your budget per meal. Your account manager will handle the rest.

Not sure where to start? Try CaterAi to explore menus and pricing with no commitment, or learn more about how Zerocater works.

Yes. When planning an event through CaterAi, you can add onsite servers, bartenders, and setup crew directly to your order. Our staff handles setup, food service, replenishment, and cleanup so you can focus on your event.

Themed decor and event styling are also available through CaterAi. Learn more about our corporate event catering services.

Zerocater offers a range of beverage options for corporate events, including coffee and tea service, non-alcoholic beverages, and curated drink selections. For larger events that require full bar service with bartenders, we can source and coordinate this on a case-by-case basis.

Share your beverage needs when building your event in CaterAi or discuss options with your account manager, and we will put together the right setup for your occasion.

Yes. CaterAi can plan meals across multiple days with different menus for each meal. Whether you need breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner for a multi-day conference or varying menus for a week-long company retreat, we can handle it.

For ongoing multi-day meal programs, your dedicated account manager can set up a recurring schedule tailored to your team’s needs.

Orders can be modified or canceled in advance of your scheduled delivery. Cancellation deadlines and refund eligibility depend on the size of your order and how close it is to the delivery date. The earlier you notify us, the more flexibility we have.

View our full cancellation and supplemental food policy for complete details on deadlines, refund procedures, and order modifications.

We hold high standards for our restaurant partners, with emphasis placed on food quality and timeliness. We monitor each delivery from preparation to the moment it arrives at your office.

If an order is late, incorrect, or does not meet your expectations, contact your account manager or our support team immediately. Depending on the situation, we will arrange a replacement, issue a credit toward a future order, or provide a partial refund. Our goal is to resolve every issue quickly so your team is taken care of.

We currently serve 11 major metro areas: the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Seattle, Denver, Dallas, and Atlanta.

Browse caterers by state and city to find options near you, or try CaterAi to start planning your next meal.

CaterAi is Zerocater’s AI-powered catering planning tool. It makes ordering corporate catering as easy as having a conversation.

Here is how it works: share your event details (date, headcount, budget, and dietary needs) and CaterAi instantly builds custom menus from over 1,000 vetted local restaurants. You can chat with CaterAi to swap dishes, adjust portions, add courses, book onsite staff, and plan themed decor. Pricing is shown in real time as you build your menu, so there are no surprises.

When you are ready, check out with a credit card or corporate ACH. Our operations team handles execution, delivery, and setup from there. Try CaterAi now.

Getting started takes less than a minute:

1. Visit zerocater.com/cater-ai
2. Share your event details: date, time, headcount, budget, and any dietary needs
3. CaterAi builds custom menu options from vetted local restaurants in your area
4. Chat to refine your menu, add onsite staff, or customize decor
5. Review pricing and check out with a credit card or corporate ACH

Our operations team takes it from there, handling coordination with the restaurant, delivery, and setup. No phone calls or back-and-forth emails required.

A recurring meal program with Zerocater goes beyond one-off catering orders. Here is what makes it different:

Personalized service: Your dedicated account manager learns your team’s tastes, dietary restrictions, and preferences over time. Menus get better with every order.

Zero effort: Once your program is set up, your account manager handles scheduling, vendor selection, ordering, delivery, and setup. No re-ordering or repeated planning required.

Menu variety: With access to over 1,000 local restaurant partners across 30+ cuisine types, your team never gets bored. Your account manager rotates vendors and cuisines to keep meals fresh.

Workplace culture: Regular shared meals boost employee satisfaction, strengthen team connections, and support retention. Food is one of the most effective perks a company can offer.

Flexible scheduling: Choose daily, weekly, or a custom cadence that fits your team. Adjust headcount, frequency, or cuisine preferences at any time.

Learn more about recurring corporate catering or how Zerocater works.

Yes. You can view your orders, manage billing, and communicate with your account team through our platform. For event orders placed through CaterAi, you receive order confirmation and can chat with our team for updates or changes.

For recurring meal programs, your dedicated account manager provides regular updates and handles scheduling, so you always know what is coming next. If you have questions about an order or your account, our support team is available by phone at 1-844-229-9376 or email at hello@zerocater.com.