Planning an event or party soon? One of the easiest ways to handle the food is by choosing a chain restaurant that offers catering. Many well-known restaurant chains provide catering services designed to serve large groups with ease.
These restaurants offer a wide variety of menu options, making it simple to find something that fits your event and satisfies your guests.
In this guide, we’ll highlight some of the top chain restaurants for catering, break down what they offer, and explain why they’re a great choice for your next gathering.
What is Restaurant Catering
Restaurant catering is the service of ordering food items and beverages from the restaurant to the event or party. This is a dedicated service that offers a variety of buffet-style meals, platters, and boxed lunches, among many others.
There is a set menu for restaurant chains that cater to a large group of people. There is even an option to customize the food menu to suit various dietary preferences and restrictions of the guests.
Benefits of choosing Chain Restaurants that offer Catering
You might ask what benefits it holds for me to order food from a chain restaurant with catering. Well, the same question was on our mind, but now we have the answer to it after experiencing this service firsthand. The common benefits include
- Your guest will be able to enjoy the food served because it will be from a chain restaurant. Most of these restaurants are popular, and guests would be familiar with them.
- These restaurants follow a set procedure and standard recipes for their service and food menu. So one can expect a consistent level of taste and quality from these catering restaurants.
- Food catering is a competitive market, and to make a place for themselves, many of these restaurant chains offer competitive rates. This makes them a budget-friendly option for events and parties.
- The true convenience of restaurants lies in their having multiple locations. This makes it easy to approach them and hire their services for any kind of event, party, or family gathering with ease.
Choosing the popular restaurants for catering a party or Event
When choosing restaurant chains that cater, you need to consider the type of event you are about to host. You also need to take into account the dietary preferences and restrictions of your guests.
To this end, we have listed the top 10 chain restaurants that offer catering. We can vouch for the service of these restaurants, with each one offering better than the last.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is a restaurant chain popular because of its chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and nuggets. These simple yet loving food items make this restaurant a great choice for family and casual events. The items they serve in their catering include:
- Chicken Nugget Trays
- Chicken Sandwich Tray
- Chicken Wrap Tray
- Mac & Cheese
- Fruit Tray
- Lemonade & Sweet Tea
Chipotle
No matter where you live in the US or all over the world, you must have heard the name Chipotle once. This restaurant chain is best known for its Mexican food.
Their catering menus is built around the idea of “build your own” with the availability of a variety of ingredients.
Chipotle is best for catering to casual events and family parties where guests are looking for diversity and options. Chipotle’s catering menu includes food items such as:
- Build Your Own Burrito Bowl Bar
- Fajita Platters
- Salad Bowl Bar
- Chips & Guacamole
- Taco Kit
Jimmy Johns
Jimmy John’s is the home for fast and fresh sandwiches, and their catering service is just as good. For large group events, they offer platters for events like picnics, friendly get-togethers, office meetings, and lunch catering.
So, if you need low-key event catering where you wish to take a quick grab to eat, this restaurant chain is the best. Their catering menu items include:
- Sub Sandwich Platters
- Party Platter with mini Sandwiches
- Assorted Chips & Cookies
- Giant Subs of Up To 16 Inches
- Boxed Lunches with chips, cookies, and sandwiches
Check: Jimmy John’s Catering Menu and Prices
Subway
If you are a sandwich lover, you will surely have heard of this restaurant. Subway is a place where you can get a service to feed a crowd with various healthy sandwich options.
If you wish to feed fresh and customizable sandwich catering to your guests, Subway Catering is the one you should look at. Their diverse menu includes:
- Wrap Platter
- Giant Sub of 3 to 6 feet
- Classic Sandwich Platter
- Cookie Tray
- Salad Bowls
Olive Garden
If you are into Italian cuisine, then there is a food chain that caters to and offers the best in that domain. The name you have all heard is the Olive Garden.
You can book their catering for Italian food for large gatherings or intimate events. If you have a sit-down dinner event in your plans, Olive Garden will offer the best catering. Their catering menu items are:
- Pasta Station with a choice of sauces and pasta
- Chicken Parmigiana Tray
- Classic Lasagna Tray
- Mini Desserts
- House Salad & Breadsticks
Panera Bread
Panera Bread’s catering service is built around a variety of salads, soups, pastries, and sandwiches. All the items are fresh and healthy, making them a great choice for morning meetings, casual gatherings, and office lunches.
If you are focused on serving guests with healthy food options, Panera Bread is the way to go. Their catering items include
- Soup Station with bread bowls
- Salad Bowls with options like Caesar and Greek
- Coffee Tote
- Assorted Sandwich Tray
PF Chang’s
Are you looking for Asian-inspired dishes for your next event planning? Well, that’s what P.F. Chang’s is for—catering a variety of traditional Asian cuisines for formal events and gatherings. PF Chang’s is one of the best chain restaurants that cater weddings in almost all locations in the USA.
This restaurant is best for your guests looking for flavor and unique dishes. Their catering menu has items like
- Chang’s Spicy Chicken Tray
- Chicken Lettuce Wrap
- Mongolian Beef Tray
- Mini Dessert Platter
- Fried Rice Lo Mein
Check Also: PF Chang’s Catering Menu with Prices
Jersey Mikes
Another great restaurant for sandwiches is Jersey Mike’s. They serve only fresh ingredients that make them a prime choice for food catering.
Their service is available for picnics, family gatherings, and office events. Satisfy the hunger of your guest with their sumptuous sandwiches. The catering menu at Jersey Mike’s includes
- Cookie Platter
- Brownie Platter
- Boxed Lunches with cookies, chips, and a sub
- Regular & Mini Sub Trays
- Giant Subs of up to 5 Feet
Read Also: Jersey Mike’s Catering Menu & Prices
Boston Market
Boston Market is the best chain catering in the market when it comes to items like mashed potatoes, cornbread, and rotisserie chicken. One can hire their services for family gatherings or office parties—truly a unique option for those who love home-style meals. Their catering menu is quite delicious, with items like
- Meatloaf & turkey breast platters
- Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
- Mac & Cheese
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Dessert & Cornbread Platter
Check: Boston Market Catering Menu & Prices
Buffalo Wild Wings
In our personal opinion, any catering is good if it has chicken wings in it, and the best in that line is Buffalo Wild Wings. You can book them for catering wings, appetizers, and burgers—a great option for casual friend gatherings, party catering, or family events.
If your guests love finger food like these flavorful wings with a variety of dipping sauces, this restaurant is one to keep in mind. Their BBQ Catering menu includes items like
- Burger Sliders
- Wing Platters
- Dessert Tray
- Spinach Artichoke Dip & Chips
Check: Buffalo Wild Wings Catering Menu With Prices
What Is The Difference Between Catering Services And Restaurant Catering?
The difference between restaurant catering and catering service lies in two things. One is the scope of the catering, and the other is the customization.
Normal catering tends to focus its service on specific types of events. They offer refined setups like wait staff, multiple-course meals, and serving stations.
On the other hand, restaurant catering is much simpler and is also affordable. They provide larger food trays from their regular menus but offer less customization.
The best part is that you will be serving food at the event from a place that is recognizable.
Which Chain Restaurants That Cater But Are Reasonable?
We know that not everyone has an open budget to host parties, events, and gatherings. So if you are low on budget and need a good restaurant for your catering, we have listed above some affordable options.
We personally recommend Subway, Panera Bread, and Jimmy John’s for fast food catering. Their sandwiches, salads, and soups will help you feed a crowd without putting a dent in your pocket.
Now, if you have a large gathering, let’s say for a wedding event or a birthday party, Chick-fil-A and Boston Market are best suited. Their catering services are available for very low prices.
Website Links Of Restaurants That Offer Catering
| Chick-fil-A | www.chick-fil-a.com |
| Chipotle | www.chipotle.com |
| Jimmy John’s | www.jimmyjohns.com |
| Subway: | www.subway.com |
| Panera Bread | www.panerabread.com |
| P.F Chang’s | www.pfchangs.com |
| Jersey Mike’s | www.jerseymikes.com |
| Boston Market | www.bostonmarket.com |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | www.buffalowildwings.com |
| Olive Garden | www.olivegarden.com |
Conclusion
When you are in the market to choose a chain restaurant for catering, choose one that offers affordable menus. The focus should always be on the restaurants that your guests would be familiar with.
So, if you need catering at a casual party or a formal event, take considerations from Modern Food Catering.
