Opening day only happens once. Whether you are cutting the ribbon on a new store, welcoming patients to a new clinic or showing clients around a new office, the food is part of the first impression.
Deep's Delights is a family-run Indian-fusion caterer in Calgary. For a grand opening, we bring finger foods made for a standing crowd, mocktails for a daytime event and, if you want it, a styled display that carries your brand. It is the same corporate catering we do all year, shaped around a launch, and everything is made in our licensed commercial kitchen in NE Calgary.
What a Grand Opening Needs From Its Caterer
An opening is not a sit-down lunch. Guests arrive over a few hours, stand and mingle, and take photos. That shapes the food and the table:
- Easy to eat standing up. One-bite and handheld items, so guests can manage a plate, a drink and a conversation at the same time.
- Timed for your busiest hour. Food is at its best within one to two hours of being set out, and dairy desserts should stay cold until shortly before serving, so plan the spread around the busiest part of the day.
- Made to be photographed. The table will be in your photos and your social posts, so on opening day it is part of your brand.
The same thinking applies to a store opening, an office opening party or a business open house: food that is easy to pick up, and a table that looks good from every angle.
Finger Foods for a Walk-In Crowd
Our Build Your Own menu is made for this kind of event. You choose each item by the piece. Most items have a 24-piece minimum, then go up in steps of 12. Appetizers start from $18 per 24 pieces and desserts from $76 per 24 pieces, before GST.
- Appetizers to start with: Katori Chaat Cups, Aloo Tikki Sliders, Mini Samosas and Tandoori Chicken Sliders.
- Desserts to start with: Mango Lassi Cheesecake, Lotus Biscoff Mousse, Gulab Jamun Mousse and Rasmalai Cheesecake.
With a styled setup, these are arranged on risers and display cubes as a grazing-style spread that guests can work through at their own pace. With delivery, they arrive ready for your own tables. Our guide to corporate appetizer spreads has more ideas for mixing items.
If opening day also includes a lunch for your team or partners, our mains packages start from $32 per person vegetarian or $35 non-vegetarian, with a 24-guest minimum, and every package includes rice, roti, raita and salad.
Put Your Brand on the Table
At an opening, the display is part of the launch. Every styled setup starts with Silver, from $750: setup and takedown, risers and display cubes, polished serveware, a printed menu and printed labels for each item. Those labels also help guests who are new to Indian-fusion food see what each item is. Gold, from $1,000, adds custom florals and is our most popular setup. For an opening with a strong theme, two tiers go further:
- Platinum, from $1,250: adds custom decor tailored to your theme and premium display elements.
- Diamond, from $1,500: adds custom branding, premium linens, candles and accent pieces, and full creative direction.
Diamond is the setup for an opening where your brand should carry through the whole display.
Mocktails for a Daytime Opening
Many openings happen during the day, and a mocktail gives every guest something festive to hold for the ribbon cutting. Our mocktails are $6 each, garnish included, and every one is alcohol-free.
- An open house run by your staff: with pickup or delivery, mocktails come in sealed 12 oz cans that your team can hand out. Ask us which flavours are available in cans.
- A ribbon cutting or launch event: with a styled setup, mocktails are poured and styled on site as part of the display.
Our menu has 13 flavours: Mango Mojito, Jaljeera Mojito, Mint Mojito, Lychee Lemonade, Sweet Sunrise, Lal-Ishq (Red Love), Amrud Panna (Guava Punch), Nila Jharna (Blue Waterfall), Jamuni Spritz, Pink Rose Milk (Rooh Afza), Mango Shake, Mango Lassi and Badam Milk. If you want the drinks to echo your brand colours, a few names point the way: Lal-Ishq (Red Love) for red, Nila Jharna (Blue Waterfall) for blue and Pink Rose Milk for pink.
Pink Rose Milk, Mango Lassi, Mango Shake and Badam Milk contain dairy, and Badam Milk contains almonds, so please check our Allergen Information Sheet for each flavour. While we do our best to prevent cross-contamination, we are not an allergen-free kitchen and cannot guarantee that cross-contamination will not occur.
Drop-Off for an Open House or a Styled Setup for the Ceremony
There are two ways to serve on the day.
- Delivery: your order arrives ready to set out on your own tables. It suits an open house where your own team is hosting.
- Styled setup: we deliver, set up the display and take it down afterwards. Setups are added to your food order and include delivery. It suits a ribbon cutting, or any opening where the table needs to impress.
Delivery Zones and Fees
- Calgary, Airdrie, Balzac and Conrich: $50
- Chestermere: $60
- Bearspaw, Springbank and Harmony: $75
- Cochrane, Okotoks and Priddis: $100
- Banff, Canmore and Red Deer: $400
Pickup from our licensed commercial kitchen at Kaladi Kitchens, Unit 10, 1420 40 Ave NE, is free.
Ordering for Opening Day
- Send your order through our Build Your Own form, or the Catering Order Form if you would like a mains package. Add your mocktails, and a styled setup if you want one.
- We confirm within 48 hours with a Square invoice.
- A 50% deposit locks your date. The balance is due one day before your event.
- Changes can be made up to two weeks before your event. All prices are before GST.
Building a budget? Our guide to corporate catering costs in Calgary is a useful place to start. For questions about branding your display, book a call and we will talk through your opening.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grand Opening Catering in Calgary
Can you add our branding to the display?
Yes. Our Diamond setup, from $1,500, adds custom branding, premium linens, candles, accent pieces and full creative direction.
What does a basic styled setup include?
Silver, from $750, includes setup and takedown, risers and display cubes, polished serveware, a printed menu and printed labels. Setups are added to your food order and include delivery.
How much do appetizers and desserts cost?
Appetizers start from $18 per 24 pieces and desserts from $76 per 24 pieces, before GST. Most items have a 24-piece minimum and go up in steps of 12; a few, such as Fruit Skewers, come in larger sets.
Do you deliver outside Calgary?
Yes. Delivery is $50 within Calgary, Airdrie, Balzac and Conrich; $60 to Chestermere; $75 to Bearspaw, Springbank and Harmony; $100 to Cochrane, Okotoks and Priddis; and $400 to Banff, Canmore and Red Deer. Pickup from our licensed kitchen in NE Calgary is free.
How do we confirm our order?
Order through our Build Your Own form or the Catering Order Form. We confirm within 48 hours with a Square invoice, and a 50% deposit locks your date. The balance is due one day before your event, and changes can be made up to two weeks before. All prices are before GST.
Plan Your Opening Day Spread
An opening is a first impression, and the table is part of it. Build your spread on our Build Your Own page, and book a call to talk about branding. The same approach works later in the year, too, for a client appreciation event.