The Short Answer: Catering is a professional food service where a company prepares and provides food, drinks, and event services for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings.
The catering meaning covers a wide range of gatherings, including weddings, corporate events, birthday parties, holiday parties, and other social events. A catering company works with clients to plan a custom menu, prepare and deliver food to the event location, and handle setup as part of the catered event.
The definition of catering has grown over time to include buffet service, plated meals, food stations, cocktail-style receptions, and boxed lunch delivery for special occasions. Catering food service today covers everything, including small business luncheons, corporate events, and 500-guest wedding receptions.
Professional catering services extend well beyond food preparation. A full-service catering business tailors your event menu, handles food preparation, delivers to your venue, sets up the buffet or plated meal service, refills beverages, and manages cleanup. Some catering agencies and catering companies also offer beverage service, alcoholic beverages through a licensed bartender, specialty linens and rentals, and an event coordinator for larger events. Types of catering services vary by service provider, with options across drop-off delivery, buffet setup, and full-service staff catering.
Every professional catering service builds a custom menu around your event, dietary needs, and budget. The catering team handles food preparation, transportation, and on-site service so guests enjoy an excellent service experience.
Catering companies typically offer three main service styles that fit any event:
The catering industry recognizes four common types of event catering, each defined by the kind of event it serves. Understanding these categories helps you decide which one suits your gathering best. When you work with a catering agency or a local catering company, these are the main types you’ll come across.
Corporate catering is the service of providing food for a company’s employees, meetings, and business events. This kind of catering extends to small and large gatherings, including private office meetings, employee trainings, seminars, regional events, and product launches. Popular menu selections for a corporate event include boxed lunches, dinner buffets, and continental breakfasts with basic coffee services.
A catering company can provide corporate catering on a regular business day schedule or handle a one-time catered event for your next corporate lunch. Some catering companies also work with corporate clients on ongoing catering orders through preferred vendor arrangements.
Wedding catering is one of the most important services for any wedding reception. Food and drinks are a major part of any wedding, making the catering menu a critical decision. A wedding catering team plans a custom menu that ties in with your wedding theme, season, and any special dietary needs of your guests.
Hiring a professional wedding caterer takes stress off the couple during wedding planning. Wedding catering options include plated dinners, buffet service, family-style meals, food stations, and cocktail-style receptions with hors d’oeuvres and full bar service.
Life is full of celebrations that call for a catered event. A social event caterer provides food and drinks for a birthday party, holiday parties, graduation parties, retirement parties, baby showers, family reunions, and other social gatherings. A skilled catering company can meet the needs of any seasonal celebration, including summertime outdoor events and Christmas parties.
Popular social event catering menu selections include buffets, food stations, appetizer spreads, and full dinner service with specialty linen and beverage service.
Concession catering is a specialty catering service found at large public events like sports games, concerts, and campus events. Concession caterers prepare high-volume menu items such as hot dogs, burgers, nachos, fries, and soft drinks for big crowds. Because a concession catering department handles massive food service demand, it’s important to hire experienced professionals with the equipment and staff to keep up.
Concession catering is different from private event catering and typically requires specialized vendors focused on high-volume food service.
Before selecting and hiring a catering company for your next event, consider these important points:
Most caterers offer standard menu items, but a great catering team allows flexibility to accommodate custom menu requests. If you need substitutions, special dietary needs, or a custom menu around a specific theme, speak with the catering manager to see what accommodations they can make. A good service provider will build the catering menu around your catering needs.
A reliable catering company communicates regularly with clients throughout the process. Look for a catering team that schedules meetings leading up to the event, discusses expectations, offers menu tastings, and answers questions. Strong communication is important in any professional catering service.
Positive reviews and feedback from references indicate a trustworthy catering business. Read online reviews and testimonials before hiring. Ask the caterer about certifications and food safety training, which the FDA regulates across the food service industry. Speak directly with past clients to learn about their experience.
Here are the main reasons to hire a professional catering service for your corporate event, wedding, public event, or social gathering:
A professional catering service provides high-quality food and beverages with careful attention to food preparation. A catering company brings expertise and consistency to every dish, including basic coffee services and full plated dinners, giving guests a memorable experience.
Presentation matters as much as taste. A catering team accommodates your event theme with plate and buffet presentation that fits the tone, including casual social gatherings and formal wedding receptions with specialty linens.
Menu planning, food shopping, setup, and cleanup add stress to any special event. Letting a professional catering department handle food service frees you to focus on hosting.
Catering pricing depends on service style, guest count, menu selections, and add-ons. Industry pricing data from Thumbtack puts drop-off catering at roughly $12 to $20 per person, buffet service at $15 to $25 per person, and full-service catering with staff at $30 or more per person.
Additional costs may include mandatory gratuity, delivery fees, taxable service charges, specialty linen rentals, and beverage service. A mandatory gratuity typically runs 18 to 22 percent for full-service catering. Catering By Design’s corporate menu starts at $10.95 per person, with social event catering menus for special events priced between $12.95 and $41 per person.
If you’re looking for an experienced professional catering service company for your next event, Catering By Design is the Triangle’s professional solution. We’ve provided professional catering across Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Chapel Hill since 2000, with corporate catering, wedding catering, social event catering, and holiday catering menus for events of every size. Our custom menu options accommodate every dietary need and budget.
As a Leading Caterers of America member and 2026 Cary Magazine Maggy Award winner for Best Caterer, we deliver excellent service and quality food at every event. To learn more about what Catering By Design can do for your next event, contact us today.
Catering means preparing, delivering, and serving food and drinks for an event or gathering. A caterer or catering company provides these services on a professional basis, often including food preparation, setup, service, and cleanup.
A caterer is the individual or business providing the service, while catering services refer to the specific offerings, including menu planning, food preparation, delivery, setup, and staff. Most caterers offer multiple catering services within their catering business.
Book professional catering as early as possible. Corporate catering and business days lunches typically require 3 to 5 business days’ lead time. Wedding catering, special events, and large social gatherings should be booked 4 to 12 months in advance during peak seasons.
The main types of catering are corporate catering, wedding catering, social event catering, and concession catering. Full-service catering, buffet service, and drop-off delivery are the primary service styles used across all four categories.
Yes. Catering By Design provides professional catering services across Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, and Morrisville, with corporate catering, wedding catering, and social event catering menus for any special occasion.
