Catering in Chicago — Specialty Coffee, Breakfast & Lunch

We cater offices, meetings, and teams across Chicago with specialty coffee and thoughtfully prepared breakfast and lunch, delivered on time and handled professionally.

What offices use us for: • Breakfast meetings • Working lunches • Coffee service

Menu availability varies by location. Printers Row has the full breakfast + lunch menu; Logan Square is more limited. We’ll confirm what’s available when you request catering.

How It Works

  • Complete the form through the link!
    Reach out if you have special needs or want us to put together a package for you.
    If you prefer email: email us at cater@necessary-coffee.com and we’ll respond within 24 hours.
    Want breakfast + coffee bundled for an office? Tell us your headcount and timing. We’ll build the best option for you.


    Send these details and we’ll reply with options:

    • Event date + time

    • Headcount

    • Delivery address (or pickup)

    • Menu requests (coffee/breakfast/lunch/boards)

    • Dietary needs

    • Budget range (optional, but helpful)

    If you are a not for profit in good standing, we will honor your uploaded not for profit tax certificate.

    We will make early morning coffee meeting deliveries.

    Let us know of any special dietary needs

  • 7+ person minimum for per-person items
    Please give at least 7 days notice for food orders.
    Rush requests? We’ll do our best!

  • $30 flat fee, or 10% of order total for orders over $300.
    Equipment deposit required (fully refundable if returned in good condition)
    50% non-refundable deposit due at order time

    We have a wide delivery range
    We’ll deliver within 14 miles of our downtown kitchen.

  • Compostable utensils available on request
    All coffee orders include accoutrements: cups, lids, sleeves, sugars, creamers
    Gratuity (20%) goes directly to our service staff

    We try to respond within 15 minutes to confirm complete orders.

    We are proud to be a zero waste cafe
    Ask us to remove your compostable items from service, fee of $35

Why Choose Us

Serious coffee, no compromises

Specialty coffee with accoutrements (cups, lids, sugars, creamers, decaf options included)

Locally sourced, high-quality ingredients and approachable, crowd-friendly options.

Food that travels well and actually feeds people

Breakfast sliders, bagel & brew boards, grain bowls, bibimbap, sliders & seasonal small plates

Pastry, empanada, and dessert assortments from local baker partners

Clear pricing, no surprises

Flexible platter sizes (small, medium, large) to match your headcount

Whether you’re running a breakfast meeting, office lunch, team training, or neighborhood gathering, we’ve got you covered.

Response expectation: we respond within 24 hours

Office Catering Made Easy

All bundles include compostable serviceware and standard coffee accoutrements.

The Breakfast Meeting

Best for:
Morning meetings, team check-ins, early trainings

Includes:

  • Breakfast slider platter

  • Brewed coffee with accoutrements

Pricing: $19 per person · 7-person min.

Optional add-ons:
Pastries, hot tea, iced coffee

Why this works:
Protein + carbs + coffee. No one leaves hungry or jittery.

The Working Lunch

Best for:
Office lunches, trainings, team work sessions

Includes:

  • Sandwiches cubano, bahn mi, spinach wrap, ham wrap, cucumber sandwich

  • Simple salad or fresh fruit salad

  • Brewed coffee or iced/hot tea

Pricing: $25 per person · 7-person min.

Why this works:
Balanced, filling, and still functional for people who need to keep working.

Close-up of baked empanadas with golden crusts on a baking sheet.

Crowd-Pleaser

Best for:
All-hands meetings, open houses, gatherings

Includes:

  • Empanada platters (meat, vegetarian, or mixed)

  • Seasonal small plates/ potatoes, miso carrots

  • Brewed coffee with accoutrements

Pricing: $22 per person · 14-person min.

Why this works:
Easy to serve, travels well, and accommodates mixed preferences without fuss.

The All Day Graze

Best for:
All-day events, long meetings, special audience open houses, gatherings

Includes:

  • Pastry Platter

  • Fruit salad

  • Sandwich Wraps

  • Side Salad or crudites

  • Brewed coffee and iced tea

Pricing: $35 per person · 14-person min.

Why this works:
Easy to serve, travels well, and accommodates both early and mid day crowd without interruption.

Catering Menu & Pricing

Choose your lane: a board/platters approach, per-person items, or a mix.

Breakfast

Breakfast Slider Platter*

Choose from:

  • Ham, egg, cheese, aioli

  • Tomato jam, egg, cheese, greens

                                        Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21               

Slider Platter           $110 (14 ct.)     |      $200 (28 ct.)     |     $280 (42 ct.)              

*Included: fruit salad

Pastry & Sweets Platters

Croissants include plain, almond, chocolate, or ham and gruyere (+$2), vegan donuts, gluten free personal coffee cake loaf.

                                             Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21           

Pastry Platter                  $42         |             $84            |            $126                

Doughnut Platter           $25        |             $55            |           $84                  

Beverages

Coffee and Tea

Brewed Coffee $5 each
Hot Tea (airpot, serves 8) $15
Iced Tea (airpot, serves 8) $15
Iced/Hot Latte (airpot, serves 8) $37–$47

*Decaf available upon request

All beverage orders include compostable cups, lids, sleeves, sugars and creamers. Alternative milk upcharge for iced and hot lattes.

Breakfast Burrito Platter

Includes side fruit salad fresh salsa [mild, hot, or medium] and pico de gallo.

                                        Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21             

Burrito Platter            $140        |          $279          |             $400            

Bagels & Brew Board

Bagels, cream cheese and toppings, coffee included.

Additions:

  • Garlic and chive cream cheese (+$1 pp)

  • Lox cream cheese (+$4 pp)

                                        Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21                

Bagel Platter                 $65         |      $110          |      $150                       

Lunch

Salads

                                             Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21           

Fresh Fruit Salad $30 | $55 | $80
Market Green Salad $45 | $90 | $135
Cobb Salad $55 | $110 | $165

Sandwich Platters

Comes with side of salad or fruit

                                             Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21           

Mixed Sandwiches $110 | $220 | $335

Empanada Platter

                                             Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21           

Meat Empanadas      $96        |      $160          |     $240

Veggie Empanadas   $86        |       $140          |    $210

Mixed Empanadas    $90        |       $150          |    $225

*Fillings vary seasonally. We’ll confirm flavor selections when your order is placed.

Charcuterie Board:

Serves approximately 10 people………. $95

An array of cured meats, cheeses and house pairings. Designed for smaller gatherings.

*Components vary based on seasonality and availability. Contains nuts, dairy, and gluten.

Toasts Platter*

Choose from:

  • Avocado

  • Berries and cream

  • Caprese

  • Lox and cream cheese

  • Prosciutto, hot honey and micro arugula

                                             Small ~ 7       Medium ~ 14        Large ~21           

Toast Platter      $55 (14 ct.)  |  $100 (28 ct.)  |   $145 (42 ct.)      

*Included: fruit salad or green salad 

À la Carte

À la Carte Breakfast

Per-Person Items (7+ minimum), designed for groups of 7 or more.

Breakfast Burrito Chorizo
Sweet Oatmeal Buffet
Yogurt, granola & fresh fruit

À la Carte Lunch

Sandwiches
Cubano
Spinach Wrap
Ham Wrap
Bahn Mi
Cucumber
Farm Fresh Grain Bowl
Bibimbap Bowl  
The Seoul Dog
Miso Glazed Carrots

.

$16
$14
$9

$16
$16
$16
$14
$16
$13
$16
$16
$12
$12

Quiche Lunch

Seasonal quiche $16 per person

*Our most popular option comes with green salad or fruit.
Choose from:

  • Spinach and feta

  • Ham and cheese

  • Broccoli and cheese

  • Quiche Lorraine

Specialty options (add $1 per person):

  • Ham, cheese and leek

  • Mushroom and herb

  • Sausage and cheddar,

  • Smoked salmon, chèvre and asparagus

  • Butternut and sage

  • Spinach, tarragon and broad bean

  • Spinach, tomato and parmesan

  • Asparagus, pancetta and blue cheese

Beverages

Coffee and Tea

Brewed Coffee $5 each
Hot Tea (airpot, serves 8) $15
Iced Tea (airpot, serves 8) $15
Iced/Hot Latte (airpot, serves 8) $37–$47

*Decaf available upon request

All beverage orders include compostable cups, lids, sleeves, sugars and creamers. Alternative milk upcharge for iced and hot lattes.

  • “The food was excellent! Loved the variety and the size of the sliders. Thank you again!”

    Zach in Chicago, IL

  • “this was our first time ordering from necessary & sufficient - the ricotta toasts were really delicious and the fruit was fresh.”

    T in Chicago, IL

  • “Thank you Chef for coming through! The chai was delicious, and the empanadas were all gone before I could get one. I do suggest they offer a number to reach them at in case ezCater cannot get through, especially in the case of deliveries where the destination is not navigation-friendly.”

    Tara in Chicago, IL

  • "Net Impact is a sustainable business society with over 400+ chapters across the United States. The mission of Loyola's Undergraduate Chapter is to build a bridge between the School of Environmental Sustainability and Quinlan School of Business. In the fall semester, Net Impact partnered with necessary + sufficient to host an event called "Coffee + Climate." This event explores the intersection of coffee, climate change, and sustainable business practices. We were honored to have Kate there to share her story and show how small businesses are leading the way in adopting sustainable practices to protect the future of this industry. Kate was warm, generous, and insightful in her talk, and we look forward to partnering with her again in the near future!"

    Aana Shenai, Net Impact, Loyola University Chicago Undergrad

Group of seven Chicago women food and beverage entrepreneurs standing together at a Chicago Concierge event, smiling at the camera, with Let's Talk Womxn, banners in the background.
Let’s Work Together

Tell us “breakfast meeting” or “lunch training” and your headcount. We’ll propose a tight set of options.

Request Catering