Frequently asked
Catering questions, answered straight.
The questions we hear most — about pricing, menus and dietary needs, staffing and logistics, lead times, and government or institutional service. Don't see yours? Ask us in the quote form and we'll answer within one business day.
Pricing & minimums
What catering costs, and where it starts
How per-guest pricing works across drop-off, stations, and plated service — and the minimums to plan around.
How much does catering cost per person in Los Angeles?
Our packages run about $18 to $143 per guest, all-in, depending on the occasion, the menu and the tier you pick. That price already covers the food plus the staff, delivery and setup your service style needs, which is why the range is wide: a boxed lunch needs no crew, a plated dinner needs a full one. Tastings, rentals, add-on services and California sales tax are the only lines added on top, and you see every one of them before you commit. There is no service charge.
What is the difference between drop-off, stations, and plated pricing?
Drop-off is food delivered ready to serve, with no crew on site. Stations put a chef in the room cooking to order. Plated means every guest is served at once, which takes roughly twice the floor staff of a buffet. The food price moves a little between them; the service price moves a lot, and it is quoted as its own line.
What drives catering prices up or down?
On the food side: menu tier, proteins, and how many dishes per course. On the service side: guest count and service style, because crew is derived from the headcount — roughly one server per 25 guests at a buffet and one per 12 for plated, plus a lead above about 40 guests. Hours on site, rentals, and venue logistics like load-in move it further. Larger events lower the food cost per guest; they raise the crew.
Is there a minimum guest count or order size?
Most packages start at 15 guests; boxed meals start at 15. Larger events bring the per-guest food cost down, and open up service styles that need a crew to run.
How do I get an exact quote?
Share your event type, date, guest count, and dietary needs through the quote form. We come back within one business day with menu options, a per-guest food price, and the service and staffing your event needs priced beside it — not folded into it.
Is staffing included in the per-person price?
Yes. A package's per-guest price is all-in: the food plus the servers, captain, delivery, setup and breakdown your service style calls for, sized to your guest count. A buffet needs fewer people than a plated dinner, so the same menu costs less per guest as a buffet, and a boxed or drop-off order carries no crew at all. Your proposal still lists the crew line by line so you can see who is coming, at $0, because it is already in the price.
Service & logistics
Staffing, venues, delivery, and setup
What we bring, where we can cook, and how food gets to you — from field kitchens to boxed-meal drop-offs.
Do you provide staff, rentals, and setup?
Yes — staffed packages include captains, servers, and on-site chefs scaled to your headcount, and we coordinate rentals (tables, linens, china, glassware) so you book one vendor, not five. Drop-off service is food, packaging, and delivery only; stations and plated service add the people and the equipment to run them.
Do you offer boxed and individually packed meals?
Yes — individually boxed meals start at 15 boxes, each labeled with contents, allergens, and dietary marks, and sorted by team, floor, or classroom before delivery. Compostable packaging is our default, not an upcharge.
Can you cater at a venue without a kitchen?
It’s our specialty. We build full field kitchens — chef stations, cold lines, even a wood-fired hearth — on cliffsides, gardens, and lofts across LA.
Will there be a chef on-site?
When your service style needs one. A live station brings a chef to cook in the room, and staffed buffets, family-style and plated dinners come with servers and a captain sized to your headcount. A drop-off order arrives ready to serve, with no crew staying on site.
How early can you deliver?
5:30am windows are routine for production crew calls; earlier is possible with notice. Hot service arrives hot, not held.
Do you bring coffee service?
Proper urns, real cups on request, and oat milk as standard — the coffee program is part of the order, not an afterthought.
Booking & lead time
Lead times, deposits, and tastings
How far ahead to book, how deposits work, where we serve, and what to expect before the date is locked.
How far in advance should I book catering?
It depends on the event. As a guide: weddings 4–9 months typical, galas 3–8 weeks typical, most corporate events 1–4 weeks typical, film production 72 hours minimum. Drop-off orders need 48 hours’ notice and boxed meals 72 hours’ notice — call us and we'll tell you honestly what your date allows.
Do you require a deposit, and how does payment work?
Yes — a 30% deposit confirms the date and covers menu development and sourcing; the balance is due before the event. Established corporate, government, and institutional accounts can be set up on itemized net-30 invoicing instead. The exact split is spelled out on your proposal, with no surprise line items on the day.
What is your service area around Los Angeles?
We cater across Greater Los Angeles and Orange County, with dedicated service-area pages for Culver City, Pasadena, Orange County, West Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Torrance, Inglewood, Irvine, Newport Beach, Glendale, Burbank, Huntington Beach, Hollywood, Long Beach, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Beverly Hills. For events outside that radius, ask; we travel for the right brief and will quote any added logistics up front.
Do you offer tastings before we book?
Yes — every wedding engagement includes a tasting with the chef at the table — we confirm the tasting location when you book. Menus are corrected in pencil, then signed in ink.
Government & institutional
Government, school, and healthcare service
Procurement-ready invoicing, allergen documentation, USDA-aligned school menus, and texture-modified healthcare meals.
Are you registered for public procurement?
Yes — we hold an active SAM registration, carry $2M liability coverage, and provide COIs before delivery as standard.
Can you provide per-head, itemized invoicing?
Per-head invoicing with allergen documentation is our default posture for government service — no special request needed.
Do you meet labeling requirements?
Every dish is labeled with contents and allergens, and a full ingredient sheet accompanies each delivery.
Are your menus USDA-compliant?
Our school menus are built to USDA portion and component guidance, with documentation per menu cycle for your records.
How do you handle nut allergies?
School service runs from our nut-free line, and every box is labeled per student group with full allergen marks.
Can you provide texture-modified meals?
Yes — minced, pureed, and soft tracks are available, prepared to IDDSI-aligned levels with dietitian documentation.
How strict is your allergen control?
Hospital-grade: dedicated prep zones, sealed labeled service, and ingredient sheets per dish, per delivery.
Need an immediate answer for an upcoming event?
We reply to proposals and booking inquiries within one business day. For a date that can't wait, call us during kitchen hours.
Carthage Kitchen
More about how we work
Still have a question?
Tell us about your event.
Two fields — your event type and guest count — and a real menu sketch with a per-guest price lands in your inbox within one business day. No spam, no upsell call.
$2M · liability insured1 · business-day reply50+ · events