Sushi Catering NYC: The Office Platter Planning Guide

How many pieces of sushi per person?

Piece count is the single decision that makes or breaks an office order. Use the meeting format, not the guest list, as your starting point:

• Sushi as the full lunch: 8–10 pieces per person (about 1.5 rolls plus a few nigiri).
• Sushi plus salads, sides, or hot dishes: 5–6 pieces per person.
• Cocktail or networking reception: 4–5 pieces per person, plus handheld sides.
• All-day offsite: 6 pieces at lunch and a second, smaller drop in the afternoon beats one oversized order.

Round up by roughly 10% for teams that skipped breakfast or for evening meetings, leftovers travel home better than an under-ordered tray recovers.

Platter counts by headcount

Building dietary variety into the order

In a typical NYC office of 30, expect two to four people who avoid raw fish, one or two vegetarians, and at least one gluten-free or shellfish-allergic guest. A reliable split:

• 50% classic rolls and nigiri, salmon, tuna, spicy tuna, California.
• 20% cooked, shrimp tempura, eel, teriyaki chicken rolls.
• 20% vegetarian and vegan, avocado, cucumber, sweet potato, inari.
• 10% flex, poke bowls, edamame, seaweed salad for anyone still hungry.

Ask for tamari instead of standard soy sauce so gluten-free guests can use the same condiment station, and request that every platter ship with an ingredient card, it stops the "what's in this one?" bottleneck at the buffet.

Label everything before guests arrive

Place vegetarian platters at the front of the line and physically separate them from raw-fish trays. Tent cards with roll name, protein, and allergens take five minutes and remove nearly every question your team would otherwise ask you.

Food safety during long meetings

• Keep sushi refrigerated at 40°F or below until 30 minutes before service.
• Follow the two-hour rule: discard raw fish left at room temperature longer than that (one hour if the room is above 90°F).
• For meetings over three hours, split the order into two deliveries rather than letting one order sit out.
• Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat cooked-roll leftovers within 24 hours; do not hold raw fish overnight.
• Ask your caterer for insulated delivery and ice packs on any drop travelling more than 20 minutes across Manhattan or into Brooklyn.

Ordering logistics in NYC

Book 48 hours ahead for groups under 30 and 3–5 business days for 50 or more. Share your building's loading-dock rules, freight-elevator window, and a lobby contact name when you place the order, those three details prevent the majority of late deliveries in midtown towers. Budget roughly $20–$35 per person for a sushi-forward office lunch, and confirm whether setup, serving utensils, and disposal are included.

Frequently asked questions

How many pieces of sushi per person for an office lunch?

Plan on 8–10 pieces per person for a standalone lunch, 5–6 pieces when sushi is one of several dishes, and 4–5 pieces for a cocktail-style reception where guests are grazing.

How far in advance should I order sushi catering in NYC?

Order 48 hours ahead for groups under 30 and 3–5 business days for 50+ guests or custom platters. Same-day orders are sometimes possible for smaller trays.

How long can sushi safely sit out at a meeting?

Keep sushi refrigerated until 30 minutes before service and discard anything left at room temperature for more than two hours. For long meetings, stagger delivery into two drops.

What should I order for vegetarian, gluten-free, and no-raw-fish guests?

Reserve roughly 30% of your order for cooked and vegetarian options, avocado, cucumber, sweet potato, shrimp tempura, and California rolls, and request tamari on the side for gluten-free guests.