When hosting an event, choosing the food service to fit the atmosphere of your event is extremely important. Each service style brings its own feel and experience to the occasion, catering to different preferences and event vibes.

Here are the top 6 types of food services you can offer at your private event.

Tray pass service is perfect for cocktail hours, art galleries, and essentially all events where guests tend to mingle and explore the space you are hosting in. Offering tray pass service lets your guests enjoy a variety of hors d'oeuvres served on trays by servers.

Tray pass is best for appetizers or light bites during a short event or before a full dinner service.

Buffet style service is perfect for an event where you want to offer your guests a variety of options for their meal. This gives your guests the opportunity to choose their preferred dishes rather than being confined to a set meal and side. This service is generally used for casual gatherings and large events, offering guests the ability to adhere to their dietary and taste preferences.

Plated seated dinners are known to be the most elegant and sophisticated meal service you can offer your guests. Servers will bring individual plated dishes to every guest at your event. They start with a plated appetizer, followed by the main dish, and then dessert. This formal service is perfect for weddings, galas, and upscale corporate events.

Family style service is the happy medium between a plated sit down dinner and a buffet style dinner. Servers bring large sharable portions to tables of guests for them to share and pass around the table to enjoy. The idea behind this type of service is to foster a sense of togetherness for your guests.

Tapas-style service is a rendition of the Spanish tradition of small, shareable plates. This service lets guests enjoy a selection of appetizers and small dishes. This type of service is perfect for cocktail parties and receptions where you plan to have your guests seated rather than mingling through a space.

Food trucks recently began to gain popularity in the private event space due to their trendy vibe. This is a fun way to offer mobile culinary experiences for your guests. Food trucks are perfect for outdoor events, casual holiday parties, festivals, and casual weddings. You don’t need many, if any, servers for this type of service. Just hire a few bussers to pick up trash and let the food tucks handle the rest!

Once you have decided on the style of service you want to offer at your event, the next step is to hire the right amount of staff for the specific service you are offering. Not sure how many servers you will need?

We created an event staffing calculator that will help.

Happy Planning!