'Lunchbox Lady' Serves Up Corporate Lunches, Inspiration

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but lunch is when companies get down to business. It’s when introductions are made, deals are closed and successes are celebrated. And if you have your corporate lunch catered by “The Lunchbox Lady,” it’s a time you can enjoy a homemade lunch that’s perfectly packaged in a decorative lunch box, its owner says.

Connie Henniger Neiman, owner of “The Lunchbox Lady,” and her team cater corporate lunches for customer appreciation events, client and staff meetings,  pharmaceutical presentations, seminars and other promotional and marketing events.

When Neiman first opened her business on Sulphur Spring Road, she ran a small cafe and took a few corporate catering customers. When she saw a large boost in corporate catering orders, she decided to move to a larger facility and refine her business vision.

“When the number of corporate lunches we delivered per week substantially increased, I knew it was important to shift my focus to the corporate catering side of the business. In August 2011, we moved to a facility that’s triple the size of our previous space. This space allows us to be more efficient,” Neiman says.

Today, "The Lunchbox Lady" and her team prepare, package and deliver an average of 500 lunch boxes per week. Since the move and her shift to strictly corporate catering, Neiman’s sales have more than doubled.

While sales have increased, there were some initial challenges she maneuvered through. “One of the most challenging aspects of the move was getting new equipment and supplies for the larger space. We had to ensure that we could keep up with our customers’ demands,” she said.

Growth also led her to revisit her menu and add additional offerings. “Chicken and caesar salads are popular among clients who want light lunches, but people looking for hearty lunches tend to order the "Halethorpe Hero" or "Bank Street Muffuletta." We recently added more sandwiches, salads and wraps to our menu, so we’ll likely get some new favorites,” she notes. 

When Neiman talks about her team, you can hear the pride in her voice. Through the move and expansion, Neiman's team remained intact and she even has a few new members.

“We’re not just a company of ladies anymore. We’ve also added men to our staff!” she laughs. “My team is such a great group of people. They live within walking distance of 'The Lunchbox Lady.' We work harmoniously and everyone is easy to get along with. As a small business owner, it can be tough during lean times, which for us, is between Christmas and New Year's. I'm glad that I've been able to grow and keep a small group of people gainfully employed.”

In 2010, Soroptimist International of Arbutus honored Neiman with the Betty Reidel Award to recognize her efforts to employ women in the Arbutus community.  As “The Lunchbox Lady” grows, she plans to continue adding to her staff.

"I'm currently looking for delivery people to work between 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This position is perfect for stay-at-home parents with school-aged children. Within the next four months, I want to add additional staff to the kitchen," she says. 

Neiman offers aspiring business owners these words of inspiration: “Believe in yourself, take the leap of faith and go for it. If you have a vision for how you want your business to be, it will happen. Every time I set a goal for 'The Lunchbox Lady,' we’ve been able to meet and exceed it. Positive things can happen, if you believe and take the risk.”

The Lunchbox Lady is located in Halethorpe, MD, at 1311 Francis Ave.  Neiman and her team ask for at least 24 hours notice for lunch orders, although they try to accommodate same-day orders. You can place an order at 443-709-4517.