At a glance: Holiday catering menus are pre-designed food and beverage packages built for holiday events, typically offered in buffet, hors d’oeuvres reception, brunch, or plated formats.
A holiday catering menu includes a coordinated selection of appetizers, main courses, sides, desserts, and beverages designed around the season. Most caterers offer holiday catering packages built for buffet, hors d’oeuvres reception, brunch, or plated dinner formats, with the option for delivery, setup, service staff, and cleanup.
Holiday catering ideas commonly span these major holidays:
Add-on options typically include bar service, rentals, additional entrées, upgraded proteins, and custom stations. A customized menu can be tailored to any private event, corporate gathering, or special event during the holiday season, with the option to serve a formal sit-down holiday meal or a more casual family style spread.
Buffets are the most popular holiday catering menu format across the Triangle. They work well for corporate holiday parties, family gatherings, and social events because guests can serve themselves and sample multiple entrées and sides. Catering By Design’s Create Your Own Holiday Buffet starts at $15.95 per person for lunch with a 25-guest minimum, and $21.95 per person for dinner or weekend service with a 40-guest minimum.
Choice of salad:
Choice of entrée:
Choice of sides:
Choice of dessert:
Add another entrée for $6 per person or holiday punch at $20 per gallon for extra festive cheer.
Holiday hors d’oeuvres menus work well for cocktail parties, mingling receptions, and events held during shorter time windows. Bite-sized appetizers give guests variety and encourage conversation across the room. CBD’s Holiday Hors d’Oeuvres Menu is $32 per person with a 40-guest minimum.
Verified holiday hors d’oeuvres include:
Popular add-on stations include a Prime Rib Carving Station (+15 per person), Cocktail Shrimp 6 per person), and Tortellini Pasta with Spinach, Prosciutto, and Cream Sauce (+$5 per person). Pair the reception with a signature holiday cocktail like mulled wine or a cranberry mimosa, served by licensed bartending services for larger gatherings.
Holiday brunch menus offer a relaxed, elegant dining experience that combines breakfast and lunch. Brunch works well for weekend brunch gatherings, family celebrations, and pre-Thanksgiving corporate events. CBD’s Holiday Brunch Menu is $20 per person with a 40-guest minimum.
The brunch menu includes:
Add-on options include assorted breakfast breads (+3 per person, miniature muffins 3 per person), savory sausage patties (+3 per person), juice 10 per gallon, and coffee service ($20 to $25 per carafe). Corporate teams often schedule a holiday brunch the Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of Thanksgiving week to bring hybrid teams together before Thanksgiving dinner at home.
A themed menu gives your holiday event personality beyond a standard buffet or reception. Popular themed holiday catering menu ideas include:
Each themed spread creates a special menu experience your guests will remember. Ask your caterer about a customized menu built around your team’s traditions or a specific holiday celebration.
Holiday catering menu pricing varies by service format, guest count, and menu tier. The comparison table below shows typical Triangle pricing for holiday meals across service formats:
| Menu Format | Price Per Person | Guest Minimum | Best For |
| Buffet Lunch | $15.95 to $22 | 25 guests | Weekday corporate lunches |
| Buffet Dinner | $21.95 to $35 | 40 guests | Weekend parties, family gatherings |
| Holiday Brunch | $20 to $25 | 40 guests | Weekend brunch, corporate morning events |
| Hors d’Oeuvres Reception | $25 to $50 | 40 guests | Cocktail parties, mingling receptions |
| Plated Dinner | $40 to $80 | 20 guests | Executive dinners, formal galas |
Additional costs typically include bar service ($12 to $30 per person for a two-hour reception), staff gratuity (18 to 22 percent), rentals (linens, china, glassware), and a delivery fee for locations outside the standard service area. A special menu with premium proteins or an extra course tends to fall at the higher end of these ranges. Multiply the per-guest price by your headcount and add 15 percent for extras to build your total holiday event budget.
Send a dietary needs and preferences survey with your event invitation. Ask about vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free preferences, along with any food allergies. The FDA identifies nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Share the final list with your catering company at least two weeks before the event. For larger holiday orders, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service provides guidance on safe food handling that any experienced catering team already follows. For a deeper look at building an inclusive menu, see our guide to catering for dietary requirements.
Catering By Design has provided full-service catering for holiday events across the Triangle since 2000, serving corporate holiday parties, family gatherings, and community celebrations at any location across Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, Morrisville, and the greater Research Triangle. Our holiday menu covers brunch, buffet, and hors d’oeuvres reception formats at every price point, with a customized special menu option for any private event, corporate gathering, or special event. Our team designs a menu around your date, location, and headcount for every corporate event, holiday party, and private holiday gathering.
As a Leading Caterers of America member, 2026 Cary Magazine Maggy Award winner for Best Caterer, and 2024 WRAL Voters’ Choice Caterer of the Year, we bring 25+ years of experience to every celebration we cater. Q4 dates fill quickly, so contact us with your preferred date or call (919) 481-2366 to lock in your holiday catering booking before the season books up.
Holiday catering menus typically run $15 to $50 per person depending on service format. Buffet lunches start around $15.95, holiday brunch runs $20 to $25, hors d’oeuvres receptions run $25 to $50, and plated dinners run $40 to $80 per person. Add-on costs include bar service, staff gratuity, and rentals.
Most holiday catering menus require a 25 to 40 guest minimum. CBD’s Create Your Own Holiday Buffet Lunch has a 25-guest minimum, while dinner buffets, brunch, and hors d’oeuvres reception menus require 40 guests.
Book holiday catering 4 to 16 weeks ahead depending on event size. December dates in the Triangle typically fill by early October, so start conversations in late summer for peak season events.
Yes. Most caterers offer add-on entrées, upgraded proteins, extra desserts, and custom stations. CBD’s holiday menu includes options like Prime Rib Carving (+15 per-person), Cocktail shrimp (+6 per person), and Holiday Punch. A customized menu can also accommodate specific dietary needs and cultural preferences.
Holiday catering menus cover Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and general company holiday season parties. Menus can be adapted for cultural or religious dietary requirements at any private event or corporate holiday party.
