Can UniHop handle catering deliveries?

Yes — UniHop can support catering deliveries using a Special Handling / Catering Pro style of delivery. For these high-end orders, we work with top-tier delivery drivers who are experienced with careful pickups, large orders, and professional drop-offs. Drivers can also help with light setup (like laying out trays), but they won’t touch food directly.

Details

What “Catering Pro / Special Handling” means

Catering deliveries are often larger, time-sensitive, and more detail-oriented than standard orders. They may involve multiple trays, boxes, catering bags, beverage containers, or bulk meal packages, and they often require professional presentation at drop-off.

A Catering Pro / Special Handling delivery is recommended when you want a smoother experience for:

• Large food orders (multiple trays, boxes, catering bags, or bulk items)
• Corporate or office deliveries (reception drop-off, conference rooms, business buildings)
• Event drop-offs (meetings, parties, trainings, gatherings, venues)
• Orders with specific pickup/release steps (front desk release, confirmation name, reference number, signing, or ID requirements)
• Deliveries where presentation and professionalism matter (neat placement, organized handoff, careful handling)

This style is especially helpful for deliveries that need extra coordination, such as parking instructions, elevator access, loading zones, or building entry requirements.

Light setup: what drivers can and can’t do

UniHop drivers can help with light setup, meaning support that improves delivery flow and presentation without direct food handling.

Drivers can help with:

• Carrying items inside to a designated area (lobby, reception desk, office suite, event room)
• Placing sealed trays/boxes on a table, counter, or staging area
• Arranging items neatly (for example: lining up trays, setting labeled bags in order, placing boxes together)
• Following drop-off instructions like room number, point of contact, or where to leave the order

Drivers cannot:

• Open containers, unwrap items, or handle unpackaged food
• Serve food, portion items, or perform food-service tasks
• Do anything that requires direct food handling, food preparation, or plating

Delivery windows (service windows)

To support realistic timing for larger orders and longer distances, catering deliveries follow an extended service window based on distance:

• 0–20 miles: 20-minute service window
• 20+ miles: 30-minute service window

What's next?

When you’re ready to request a catering delivery through UniHop:

1. Choose a Special Handling / Catering Pro style delivery (recommended for catering orders and large professional drop-offs).
2. Add clear notes about pickup release requirements and drop-off/setup instructions, such as:

• who to ask for (contact name, department, reception desk)
• room number, suite number, or event location
• elevator access, loading dock, parking instructions, gate codes, or entry procedures
• where to place trays (table, counter, meeting room setup area)

3. If your catering order will be ready at a specific time, consider using scheduled delivery so pickup happens within your preferred window.
4. If you have extra details that help pickup succeed, you can chat with Support and share them there — for example:

• where the pickup is located inside the store
• what’s required for release (name, order number, confirmation steps)
• any special notes that reduce delays or missed handoffs

Updated on: 04/13/2026