Best Panera Bread Catering Alternatives in Boston: 8 Better Options for Your Office
Panera Bread has long been the default office catering choice for Boston companies — easy to order, recognizable to everyone, and just good enough to get through a working lunch. But in 2024 and 2025, Panera quietly made some changes that have a lot of corporate clients reconsidering.
The company moved to a par-baked frozen bread model, closing down its fresh dough-making facilities. They've also been rolling back the clean food guidelines that made them stand out in the first place. For offices that ordered Panera specifically because it felt like a step above fast food, that step is getting smaller.
The good news is that Boston has no shortage of better options — caterers who are actually making food fresh, with real ingredients, and who treat your order like it matters. Here are eight of the best Panera alternatives for office catering in Boston.
1. Basil Tree Catering
If Panera's appeal was always the "clean, fresh" positioning, Basil Tree is everything Panera used to promise and actually delivers it. Cambridge-based and woman-owned, Basil Tree specializes in sustainable drop-off corporate catering with a rotating menu that keeps repeat orders interesting.
- ✅ Genuinely fresh food made with locally sourced ingredients
- ✅ Compostable, clearly labeled packaging — no plastic waste
- ✅ Rotating menu so offices don't see the same spread every week
- ✅ Trusted by MIT Sloan, Foundation Medicine, and dozens of Boston institutions
- ✅ Highly responsive team from ordering through day-of delivery
2. Milk Street Cafe
A Boston institution since 1981, Milk Street makes everything from scratch in-house every single day — which is exactly what Panera used to claim and no longer does. The menu covers breakfast through lunch and accommodates a wide range of dietary needs.
- ✅ Everything scratch-made in-house daily — no par-baked shortcuts
- ✅ Family-owned and operated, Boston-based
- ✅ Dietary restrictions accommodated across all menus
- ✅ Loyalty program with genuine perks
- ✅ Unsold food donated to local food bank daily
3. Metro Catering
For offices that liked Panera because it was reliable and could scale, Metro Catering is the direct upgrade. They've been serving Boston corporate accounts for over 30 years and can handle anything from a small team lunch to a 500-person event.
- ✅ 30+ years serving Boston offices, government agencies, and nonprofits
- ✅ Handles groups of any size — 10 to 500+
- ✅ Individually wrapped options available on request
- ✅ Known for accommodating last-minute and same-day orders
- ✅ Delivery and pickup both available
4. Rebecca's Culinary Group
Recognized by the Boston Business Journal as the largest caterer in Massachusetts, Rebecca's is the obvious choice for offices that need a dependable, scalable partner across Boston, Cambridge, and Longwood.
- ✅ Largest caterer in Massachusetts
- ✅ Customizable menus for any dietary preference or event type
- ✅ Same-day delivery windows available
- ✅ Handles breakfast, boxed lunches, hot entrees, and holiday events
- ✅ Corporate-focused ordering process with minimal friction
5. Viga Italian Eatery & Caterer
For downtown Boston offices, Viga is a fresh, affordable, and consistently well-reviewed alternative that has been serving the Financial District and Back Bay since 1999. Think Italian comfort food — pastas, calzones, hot sandwiches, salads — made daily from local ingredients.
- ✅ Multiple locations across downtown Boston
- ✅ Fresh, locally sourced ingredients made daily
- ✅ Italian-focused menu: sandwiches, pastas, salads, calzones
- ✅ Competitive pricing — often better value than Panera for comparable quality
- ✅ Handles small team lunches and large corporate orders
6. Boston Catering & Events
With 35 years in the business and a globally trained culinary team, Boston Catering & Events is a strong choice for offices that want more variety and creativity than the Panera sandwich-and-soup formula.
- ✅ More diverse and creative menus than standard corporate caterers
- ✅ Punctual, professional, easy to communicate with
- ✅ Strong track record with regular, ongoing corporate accounts
- ✅ Handles everything from working lunches to full holiday parties
- ✅ 35 years of experience in the Boston market
7. Above and Beyond Catering
For offices that want to elevate beyond the Panera-level experience — client meetings, team milestones, quarterly reviews — Above and Beyond brings event-quality food and presentation to corporate settings.
- ✅ Award-winning catering with 25+ years in Greater Boston
- ✅ Fresh, seasonal menus that go well beyond standard office fare
- ✅ Full event planning support available
- ✅ Preferred vendor at several top Boston event venues
- ✅ Best for client dinners, team celebrations, and office milestone events
8. ANI Catering & Cafe — Belmont, MA
For Boston offices tired of the same sandwiches and salads, ANI brings something genuinely different — Mediterranean and Middle Eastern catering that's been feeding the Greater Boston area for over 30 years. Chicken shawarma platters, falafel, hummus, kabobs, and fresh salads that travel well, satisfy a crowd, and give your team something to actually look forward to at lunch.
- ✅ Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu — a real change from the usual rotation
- ✅ Family-run with 30+ years serving the Boston area
- ✅ Fresh ingredients, generous portions, honest pricing
- ✅ Food travels and holds well — conference room and desk friendly
- ✅ Customized quotes for groups of any size across Greater Boston
Open Monday through Saturday, 11am to 8pm.
👉 View ANI's office catering information at anicateringandcafe.com
Full disclosure: ANI Catering & Cafe is our family's business. The other seven companies on this list are included because they genuinely represent some of the best office catering options in Boston — and because your team deserves better than frozen dough.
Whether you're switching from Panera or just looking for something new, Boston has excellent options at every price point and scale. The best office caterer is the one your team actually gets excited about — and that's worth a little research. ```