Things to Consider When Planning an Event with Buffet Catering in Salt Lake City
Large group catered events are an ideal way to create connections, celebrate, and honor life’s big moments! That’s why we love buffet catering in Salt Lake City for large groups! Why? When catering for 1,000+ people (but we don’t discriminate, we love all groups), there’s just something special about the creativity that our staff channels. From epic decor and design that pull in company elements around every corner to masterful operations gurus who time meal service down to the second, it’s an honor to see them pull off huge events time after time.
That’s why we love our event planners and team members at LUX Catering & Events. These pros have large group buffet catering experience that’s better than the rest. Today we’re going to share a few things they say you should pay the most attention to when catering a buffet meal in Salt Lake City and beyond, as well as some of their favorite buffet menus!
Top Things to Focus on for Flawless Buffet Catering Events in Salt Lake City
Event planning is consistently ranked as one of the top most stressful jobs in the world. Why? Because of all the moving pieces. Especially when you’re catering for groups of 1,000+ people! There is oh so much to consider, manage, and troubleshoot on-site. It comes with a lot of stress, and you need someone who is organized yet “go with the flow” enough to pivot on a dime. Keep that in mind when finding someone to manage your event!
Event Design & Decor Are Essential to Bring Your Event to Life
Especially when it comes to corporate events, the event starts and ends with how you incorporate unique design and décor elements. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- What is the theme of my event, and what do I want attendees to feel?
- Where can we take advantage of branding opportunities? (Psst… don’t stop at just the linens and décor—think about how you can brand your desserts with your logo or how you can place your logo on meal boxes for lunch)
Logistics & Staffing for Large Group Catering Can Make or Break Your Event
To ensure your large group event in Salt Lake City goes off without a hitch, the key is mastering your logistics and making sure you have enough staff to make it happen! Here are a couple top tips:
- Create an event timeline, and don’t skip a pre-con meeting. Ensuring that all your vendors, the venue, and team members are on the same page is critical to your success!
- Meet separately with the venue to review meal logistics to make sure that there are enough bartenders, servers, and banquet captains to (literally) cater to your group’s needs while on-site. Ensure you know who your point of contact is in case you need anything during mealtime!
Dietary Restrictions Are Inevitable When Catering Groups of 1,000+ People
Dietary restrictions are the norm for any group. Never mind when you’re doing buffet catering for 1,000+ people! So, how do you cater to groups that size and their dietary restrictions?
- Make sure you ask about dietary restrictions on the registration form. This way if you have mostly vegetarians, you know to focus more on vegan and vegetarian catered meals than meat dishes. If you have a ton of gluten-free individuals, you’ll offer carbs like rice instead. You get the picture!
- Label your buffet catering entrees with which dietary restrictions they are kosher for. Putting simple signage in front of the serving dish that notes gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, etc. makes it easier not only for event organizers (because they will get less questions) but attendees too, who will appreciate the effort!
Favorite Menu Items for Large Group Buffet Catering in Salt Lake City
When it comes to large group buffet catering, there are a few service style options. Below, we break it down with some favorite menu items for each style!
Salad & Foodie Boxes: Boxed Lunch Catering for 1,000+
Perfect for on-the-go corporate events, volunteer days, community events and more!
Caprese Foodie Box
- Sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, greens and fresh basil on housemade ciabatta with balsamic aioli
- Served with kettle chips, a dill pickle spear and a freshly made cookie
Luau Salad Box
- Sesame chicken breast with mixed greens, cucumbers, green onions, bell peppers, carrots, mango and wonton crisps with grilled pineapple vinaigrette
- Served with a baguette and housemade dessert
Think Panera lunch, but catered by an award-winning local caterer!
Food & Hors D’oeuvre Stations for Large Groups
Perfect for family celebrations, fundraising galas, networking events and general events where you want people mingling, connecting and enjoying!
Seasonal Roasted Vegetables
- Fresh crudité and seasonal roasted vegetables served with garlic aioli
Utah’s Own Cheese Display
- Cheeses from local cheese makers, including artisan selections from the award-winning Beehive Cheese Company, Heber Valley Cheese and many other selections, served with sliced housemade breads
Rosemary Veal Dinner Station
- Ethically raised grass-fed veal chop
- Cheddar ansom grits, broccolini, artisan rolls, fresh green salad
- Housemade dessert
Moroccan Chicken Dinner Station
- Frenched chicken breast in a preserved lemon apricot sauce
- Almond Israeli couscous, Moroccan salad featuring fresh greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, and house-made labneh cheese in a green harissa dressing
- Buttered chapati and dessert
Great for a large event with lots of different dietary restrictions, as guests can choose which station suits them best rather than having to wait in a buffet line knowing they can’t eat most of what’s on the buffet.
Standard Self-Service or Full-Service Buffet Catering in Salt Lake City
Set up a double-sided buffet with some salads, entrees, side dishes and desserts so guests can serve themselves. Or have a chef-manned buffet to keep the line moving quickly! Here are a few dishes you may want to consider on your buffet:
- Homemade risotto cakes with a wild mushroom sauce, heirloom French tip carrots
- Seared Snake River Farms tenderloin with red wine jus
- Roasted halibut with a tarragon bearnaise
- Marinated mozzarella salad with fresh mozzarella with sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic reduction
- Beet and apricot salad garnished with pistachios served on a bed of mixed Tuscan greens and drizzled with a roasted apple vinaigrette
Catered Dessert for Large Group Buffet Meals
You can’t forget the sweet endings!
Donut Bar
Cake donuts that guests can top with their choice of toppings and sauces.
Cupcakes Galore
Think vanilla champagne cupcakes with champagne buttercream, snickerdoodle cupcakes with buttercream dipped in cinnamon sugar or salted caramel macadamia cupcakes featuring chocolate cupcakes topped with salted caramel frosting, macadamia nuts and a sprinkle of sea salt. Yum!
Local Salt Lake City Purveyors You May Find on Your Buffet Catering Menu
When dreaming up epic buffet catering in Salt Lake City, we like to support as many small local purveyors as possible. Not only is it good for the local economy, but it means your guests will enjoy flavorful, fresh local fare that is rare for large group catered events. LUX Catering & Events often features:
- Fresh local cheese from Beehive Cheese, Herber Valley Artisan Cheese and Park City Creamery to complement charcuterie by Creminelli Fine Meats
- Sweet local honey from Slide Ridge for build-your-own yogurt parfait bars
- Fresh-caught local fish from Fog River and antibiotic-free chicken from Red Bird Farms for entrees
- Hot chocolate bars featuring drinking chocolate from The Chocolate Conspiracy
And that’s just a small sampling of local Salt Lake City foodie favorites you can feature when offering buffet catering in Salt Lake City with LUX Catering & Events! Check out a few more of our favorite local partners here.
What People Are Saying About Large Group Buffet Catering in Salt Lake City with LUX Catering & Events…
““We have used LUX Catering & Events many times over the years and have found them to be reliable, creative, easy to work with and willing to go above and beyond. Our most recent event was a four-hour reception that had approximately 1,800 guests. This event went from idea to fruition in just 11 days. At no time did anyone at LUX hesitate to step up. When our internal event planner declined to complete the event, Christopher at LUX stepped in and became our event planner, arranging floral, furniture and layout, not to mention the six-foot-tall cake as the centerpiece of the event. He went so far as to find lighting to make the cake glow so guests would notice it from the moment they stepped through the door. LUX brought the perfect amount of food. We had many, many people compliment the food and how much was available. When we were promised street tacos, we expected a tablespoon of meat on a 3-inch tortilla. What we got was a healthy ladleful of pork that melted in your mouth. The food has always been delicious and extremely creatively presented. The team knows “wow factor,” making each event we’ve worked together on a true experiential success.””—Michael A.
““I have been a client of LUX for going on 6 years now, and they have always exceeded my expectations. The latest event was a very large project for Sundance, and our lead, Julianne, was amazing to work with. She was very organized, professional and able and willing to help with issues that came up even though they were not on their end. I will definitely continue using LUX as my preferred catering company for Studio Elevn! Also thank you to Courtney and the rest of their amazing staff!””—Michael O.
““We had LUX cater lunches and breaks for a large conference of nearly 500 people, and the combination of high-quality food and professional service was perfect. The whole team adjusted to schedule changes, keeping people flowing and [accommodating] special dietary needs without a glitch, and quite a few attendees told me that the food was the best conference food they have ever had. With all the stress of handling a large event, having pros like this behind me was one of the things that made it possible.””—Fred A.
LUX Catering & Events Is Ready to Help You with Buffet Catering in Salt Lake City for Your Next Large Group Event
LUX Catering & Event’s award-winning catering team is ready to help you source (venue and rentals), plan, design and execute your next event in the Salt Lake City area or beyond. Let’s chat about your vision and start planning!
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