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Featured
Persian, Mediterranean and vegetarian charcoal grill in Burbank. Family-style catering at about $15 a person, most orders same day.
A sample of the 4,548 catering companies listed, one per city. Every listing is free to claim.
Featured
Persian, Mediterranean and vegetarian charcoal grill in Burbank. Family-style catering at about $15 a person, most orders same day.
Every city page compares the caterers who actually serve it on price, service style and reviews.
The honest version, including when saving money on staff costs you more.
Quantities that work, by service style, with the appetizer maths people get wrong.
What caterers actually charge, what the service fee covers, and where quotes hide money.
Nationally, catering runs about $20 to $45 per person for a buffet and $45 to $150 per person for a plated, full-service event. The three things that move the number most are service style, protein choice and guest count. Drop-off catering is typically 30-50% cheaper than full service because there is no staffing, rentals or gratuity. Below roughly 40 guests, most caterers charge a flat minimum instead of a per-head rate.
Book 2 to 4 weeks ahead for a routine office lunch or small party, 2 to 3 months for a large corporate event, and 9 to 12 months for a wedding at a popular venue. December and the May-June graduation window are the two hardest times of year to book late. Many caterers will take a rush order inside 72 hours for an extra fee, and repast catering is routinely arranged in under 48 hours.
Drop-off means the food is delivered hot in disposable chafing dishes with serving utensils, and the caterer leaves. You handle setup, refills and cleanup. Full-service means the caterer arrives early, sets up, cooks or finishes on site, staffs the event with servers, provides china and linens, and cleans up afterwards. Full service usually adds 20-30% on top of the food cost for labor, plus rentals.
A common planning rule is 1 pound of food per adult across all dishes, split roughly into 6 oz protein, 4 oz starch and 4-6 oz vegetables or salad. For appetizer-only receptions, plan 4-6 pieces per person per hour if a meal follows, or 10-12 pieces per person for a two-hour reception that replaces dinner. Order for 100% of your confirmed headcount, not your invited count.
No. A service fee of 18-24% is a charge on the total that covers the caterer's overhead, coordination and staffing, and it usually does not go to the servers. A gratuity is separate and optional. Always ask directly whether staff are paid from the service fee, and whether sales tax is applied to the fee as well as the food, which it is in most states.
Yes. Browsing listings, comparing caterers and requesting quotes is free for anyone planning an event. Caterers can claim and maintain a basic listing at no cost, and can optionally pay for a Plus, Pro or Featured listing for more photos, more service areas and priority placement.
Results are ordered by a quality score that combines completeness of the listing, verified contact details, photo and menu coverage, review rating and volume, and responsiveness to past quote requests. Paid Featured listings are placed at the top of their city and are always labeled as featured. Paid placement never changes the score or the ordering of the non-featured results below it.
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