Corporate Catering Statistics 2025: Costs, Trends & Data

Key Statistics at a Glance

1. U.S. Catering Industry Overview

How large is the U.S. catering market?

The U.S. catering services market was valued at $60.4 billion in 2022 and reached an estimated $72 billion in 2023, according to Grand View Research and Lunchbox. The market is projected to hit $109.4 billion by 2030, growing at a 7.7 percent CAGR. Expert Market Research estimates the market reached $72.67 billion in 2024 and $77.18 billion in 2025.

Catering accounts for about 11 percent of total U.S. food service revenue ($537.2 billion), per Lunchbox.

What share of the market is corporate vs. social catering?

B2C and social catering (weddings, parties, celebrations) make up 63 percent of the total market, while B2B and institutional catering accounts for 37 percent, according to Lunchbox. However, corporate catering is growing faster. Event catering held a 61.74 percent revenue share in 2022, per Grand View Research, while the workplace/office catering segment is growing at 8.8 percent CAGR, outpacing the overall market.

According to the International Caterers Association survey, 48 percent of caterers reported corporate events as their largest area of growth, per Lunchbox.

2. Corporate Catering Costs Per Person

How much does corporate catering cost per person?

Corporate catering costs range widely based on meal type, service style, and location. According to CaterCow, the average all-in cost per person by meal type is:

How do costs break down by service style?

Service style has the biggest impact on per-person pricing. According to Thumbtack, NYFTA, and Best Food Trucks:

One key insight: buffet-style catering runs about 11 percent more expensive per person than individually boxed meals because diners tend to consume 50 percent more food in buffet settings, according to CaterCow.

How do costs vary by city?

Location matters. According to CaterCow, lunch catering averages under $18 per person in cities like Boston, Boulder, and Houston, while New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin average $20 to $21 per person.

In Southern California, corporate catering ranges from $15 per person for basic boxed lunches to $85 or more for full-service plated events, according to FTALA. The Los Angeles and Orange County markets sit at the higher end of the national range due to labor and ingredient costs.

3. Corporate Catering Spending and Budgets

How much are companies spending on workplace food?

Corporate food spending is accelerating. According to ezCater’s 2025 “Feeding the Workplace” report, 60 percent of corporate food orderers plan to spend more on workplace food in 2025, with nearly a third expecting budget increases of 25 percent or more.

What percentage of an event budget goes to catering?

Catering typically accounts for 40 to 60 percent of a total corporate event budget, according to Metrobi. Additional costs include service fees (5 to 20 percent of the food total), basic supplies ($5 to $15 per person), and venue charges.

For context, the average catering order check is $500 when placed through direct channels, per Lunchbox. That number drops to $420 across all channels, according to ezCater.

4. Workplace Food as an Employee Benefit

Does providing food help bring employees back to the office?

Yes, and the data is overwhelming. According to ezCater’s 2025 workplace survey of over 600 corporate decision-makers:

Food-related perks now rank as the number one return-to-office strategy, ahead of flexible hours (44 percent) and office space improvements (41 percent), according to ezCater.

How much do employees value workplace food?

The median employee would sacrifice $4,500 in annual salary before giving up workplace food benefits, according to the CaterCow 2025 Workplace Food Habits Report (survey of 1,000 full-time U.S. adults). The mean value is even higher at $5,880.

Among employees already receiving regular catering, 34 percent would give up their annual holiday party for daily lunch, 30 percent would trade company happy hours, and 18 percent would even sacrifice work-from-home flexibility, per CaterCow.

There is a notable generational divide: 71 percent of workers aged 18 to 29 receive regular workplace catering, compared to just 35 percent of those aged 45 to 64, per CaterCow. Younger workers view workplace food as a baseline expectation, not a bonus.

5. Corporate Catering Ordering Trends

How frequently do companies order catering?

Corporate catering has shifted from occasional events to recurring programs. According to ezCater and Lunchbox:

The number of companies with daily or weekly recurring meal programs increased 32 percent year-over-year in 2024, per ezCater.

How are corporate catering orders placed?

Digital ordering dominates. Seventy-five percent of catering orders now happen online (mobile or desktop), while 30 percent still come through phone calls, per Lunchbox. About 70 percent of orders occur during off-peak hours, and the average order serves over 20 people.

On the restaurant side, operators with catering programs saw a 5.1 percent increase in overall revenue from 2023 to 2024, outpacing the 3.3 percent average growth rate for restaurants and bars, according to ezCater. Ninety-seven percent of operators expect their catering revenue to grow, per ezCater.

6. Corporate Event Catering by Event Type

Which corporate events require catering most?

Internal team meetings (23.72 percent), product launches (16.32 percent), and trade conferences (15.85 percent) are the most common corporate event types, according to Bizzabo. Sixty-six percent of organizations plan to schedule more events in 2025 than they did in 2024, and 83 percent of meetings planned for 2025 will have an in-person component.

According to Fresh City Kitchen, a holiday party for 100 employees typically costs $2,000 to $4,000, depending on formality. About 70 percent of companies provide catering for office holiday parties, and only 47 percent serve alcohol.

What about dietary accommodations?

Dietary accommodations are now an expectation, not a courtesy. The CDC estimates that 17 percent of U.S. adults follow a special diet, and about 5 percent identify as vegetarian, 3 percent as vegan, per CDC data cited by Zerocater. Roughly one-third of Americans are actively trying to reduce or eliminate gluten.

According to Paytronix, interactive food stations with build-your-own options are growing in popularity for corporate catering services because they naturally accommodate multiple dietary needs without requiring separate menus.

7. Industry Challenges and Cost Pressures

What challenges do caterers face in 2025?

The catering industry is growing fast but facing serious operational headwinds. According to Curate’s 2025 Catering Industry Report:

How are food and labor costs changing?

Consumer grocery prices increased about 2.3 percent in 2024, while the cost of eating out rose 4.1 percent, according to Bites by Braxtons. Meat prices jumped as much as 17 percent, with an additional 12.8 percent increase expected, per Bites by Braxtons.

For catering businesses, food ingredients typically account for 28 to 35 percent of revenue, and labor runs 25 to 35 percent, according to UpMenu. Net profit margins for caterers range from 7 to 15 percent, which is better than the 4 to 7 percent typical of restaurants, per UpMenu.

These cost pressures are flowing through to corporate clients. Companies should expect catering prices to continue rising in 2025 and 2026 as labor shortages and ingredient inflation persist.

Methodology and Sources

This report aggregates data from 27 sources spanning 2022 to 2025. Sources include market research firms, industry associations, national workplace surveys, and established catering platforms. All statistics are cited inline with direct links to original publications.

Primary data sources: ezCater “Feeding the Workplace” reports (600+ corporate decision-makers and 1,000+ employees surveyed), CaterCow 2025 Workplace Food Habits Report (1,000 full-time U.S. adults via Pollfish), Grand View Research (market sizing), and the International Caterers Association industry survey.

Limitations: Market size estimates vary by research methodology. Grand View Research, Expert Market Research, and Lunchbox/ICA each use different scoping definitions for “catering services,” leading to a range of estimates ($60.4B to $77B). Workplace food surveys from ezCater and CaterCow focus on companies that already use catering platforms, which may skew toward larger employers. Regional corporate catering data for the Inland Empire and Riverside County specifically is limited; Southern California and Los Angeles metro data serves as the closest benchmark.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does corporate catering cost per person?

The average corporate lunch costs $20 per person, according to CaterCow. Prices range from $15 to $25 for boxed meals up to $50 to $120 for plated sit-down dinners. The biggest cost factors are service style, menu complexity, and geographic location.

What percentage of a corporate event budget goes to catering?

Catering typically accounts for 40 to 60 percent of the total event budget, according to Metrobi. For a 100-person event, that translates to $2,000 to $6,000 for catering alone, depending on the service style and menu selections.

How often do companies order catering?

Eighty percent of companies that use catering services order at least monthly, and 39 percent order weekly (up from 32 percent in 2023), according to ezCater. Forty-three percent of organizations now have recurring meal programs in place, per ezCater.

Does providing food at work increase employee attendance?

Yes. Eighty-eight percent of business leaders say meals encourage more employees to work on-site, and food-related perks rank as the number one return-to-office strategy at 45 percent, ahead of flexible hours at 44 percent, per ezCater. Employees save an average of 30 minutes per day when meals are provided.

How much do employees value workplace food benefits?

The median employee would sacrifice $4,500 in annual salary before giving up workplace food benefits, per CaterCow. Thirty-four percent would trade their annual holiday party for daily lunch, and 18 percent would give up work-from-home flexibility.

How large is the U.S. catering market?

The U.S. catering market generated $72 billion in revenue in 2023 and is projected to reach $109.4 billion by 2030, growing at a 7.7 percent CAGR, according to Grand View Research. Corporate catering is the fastest-growing segment, with 48 percent of caterers reporting corporate events as their largest growth area.

What are the biggest challenges facing caterers in 2025?

Labor costs (98 percent of caterers affected), food cost inflation (97 percent), and understaffing (86 percent) are the top three challenges, according to Curate. These pressures are pushing catering prices higher for corporate clients, with meat prices alone rising by double digits.

About Chef Bill Blackburn Farm to Table

Chef Bill Blackburn Farm to Table is a full-service catering and event planning company based in Corona, California. The company specializes in farm-to-table corporate catering and wedding catering across the Inland Empire, Riverside County, Orange County, and Los Angeles County, with a focus on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.