As the corporate world regains its social rhythm, this year’s holiday event landscape reveals a significant shift in catering trends. Across the country, companies are moving away from lavish displays and toward meaningful, high-quality experiences that emphasize connection, culture and employee appreciation.
As catering evolves, packaging continues to play a critical role in the customer experience. From food safety and performance to waste reduction and circularity, packaging is a way foodservice establishments can elevate their catering offerings. In 2025, we saw several innovations in food packaging, and we anticipate these trends will continue to expand in 2026.
Between them, they’ve catered everything from papal visits to intimate backyard weddings. But when Warren Dietel, Bill Hansen and Kevin Lacassin took the stage at the Florida Restaurant Show in Orlando in November, they came ready to talk about something more universal than their most glamorous gigs: the nitty-gritty of running a catering business in 2025.
The National Restaurant Association released its highly anticipated 2026 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, highlighting the trends set to shape America’s menus in the coming year. The report, based on insights from hundreds of culinary professionals surveyed in October 2025, reveals that nostalgia, comfort and “flavor escapism” are defining consumer desires in 2026.
Football season is in full swing, then there’s “Drinksgiving,” then New Year’s Eve, followed by the Super Bowl! The fall/holiday
For the third consecutive year, Vestals Catering catered the Cattle Baron’s Ball—the world’s largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. More than 3,200 guests attended the Oct. 25th event, where they were entertained by headliner Post Malone—an alum of the Metroplex’s Grapevine High School. To support the cause, Vestals donated a significant amount of food and labor to the event.
Super Bowl tailgates with Navajo fry bread in Phoenix—and Cuban pastelitos in Miami. Full coffee and affogato bars, customizable with a plethora of candy and toppings. Reusable serviceware, specialty cocktails and seasonal produce sourced locally.
Clearly, this isn’t your grandfather’s large-scale catering.
It’s what guests will find, however, when they attend a prestigious major event catered by Landmark Experiences, which is meeting the demand for high-quality food and presentation at citywide functions. The initiative, recently launched by Elior North America (ENA) Dining and Events, brings together the company’s five catering brands—Constellation Culinary Group, Abigail Kirsch, Design Cuisine, Corporate Chefs and Lancer Hospitality.
By Allison Freeman, Element Event Solutions When it comes to holiday events, if you build it, they will come—and leave
All 152 MISSION BBQ locations are now available on ezCater, marking the restaurant brand’s first appearance on a third-party marketplace. The relationship gives the fast-casual restaurant chain access to large workplace food orders without the cost of building a corporate sales team.
In May 2025, the team at Houston-based A Fare Extraordinaire took their talents on the road to cater this 471-guest wedding for Paige Drummond and David Andersen. The celebration took place against the sweeping backdrop of the bride’s family ranch—recognizable to fans of the Food Network’s The Pioneer Woman, hosted by Paige’s mom, Ree.
