event catering
Banquet meal service
Event catering is the business of providing food and beverage service for gatherings—weddings, corporate functions, parties, conferences.
Unlike restaurant dining, catering brings the kitchen to the venue.
The term covers everything from simple drop-off platters to full-service operations with staff, equipment, and elaborate menus: We hired event catering for the reception.
- serving traysFlat carriers for dishes
- food serviceMeal preparation industry
- appetizersPre-meal small dishes
- carving stationBuffet meat-slicing counter
- chafing dishesHeated serving containers
buffet line · plated dinner · weddings · black tie · entrees · chefs · desserts · menu planning · cocktail hour · fundraisers · sustainable packaging · head count · conferences · vegan options · hospitality · mocktails · ethnic cuisines · servers
- foodservicecafeteria, restaurant, buffet, canteen, fast food
- mobile foodfood truck, food cart, street food, food stand, hot dog cart
- park servicesvisitor centers, guided tours, tour guides, concession stands, gift shops
- pop-up diningsupper clubs, farm dinners
event cateringhome cooking
Meals prepared at residence
self-catering · brown-bagging · packed lunch · leftovers · potluck
event cateringeating alone
Consuming food unaccompanied
solo dining · fast food · grab-and-go · snacking · food truck
event cateringeating alone
Consuming food unaccompanied
quick meal · microwave dinner · TV dinner · fast food · leftovers