Catering Questions & Answers

It depends on the menu, the style of service, the number of guests and how much staff, bar service and rental equipment your event needs, so we don't publish set per-person prices. Tell us about your event and we'll send you a detailed proposal.

Everything, itemized. Each proposal breaks the price down by food, beverage, staff, equipment, fees and taxes, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.

Yes, our minimum is 10 guests. Beyond that, we cater everything from small meetings to events for 1,800 guests.

As early as you can, since your date is reserved once we have a signed agreement and deposit. Final guest counts and menu choices are due 10 days before the event. Need something sooner? Last-minute orders carry a rush fee and depend on our kitchen's approval.

Yes. A tasting costs $200, and we credit it toward your event when you book with us.

Yes, it's a large part of what we do: more than half of our 2025 events were drop-off deliveries, from breakfast meetings to working lunches. When your event needs on-site service, we bring servers, bartenders and captains.

Yes. We provide W-9s, accept purchase orders and handle tax-exempt orders.

Yes. We carry general liability, workers' compensation, liquor liability and auto insurance, and we provide certificates of insurance on request. We can also name your venue or organization as an additional insured; a fee may apply.

By ACH, check or major credit card; credit card payments carry a 3% processing fee. We can also invoice your organization.

Yes. We offer a wide variety of gluten-free and vegan dishes. Tell us about your guests' dietary needs when you plan, and we'll build the menu around them.

Tell us about any allergies when you plan and we'll make every reasonable effort to accommodate them. Our kitchen handles nuts and shellfish every day, though, so we can't rule out cross-contact.

Yes. We work with kosher catering partners, so we can serve your kosher guests.

Yes. Browse our sample corporate menus and sample wedding menus. Every menu is customized for your event, and desserts come from our own pastry shop.

Yes. We supply the alcohol as well as the bartenders and bar setup, including specialty cocktails. We hold a caterer's liquor license, our staff includes managers licensed by DC's Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), and we carry liquor liability insurance.

Yes. We're a one-stop shop: food, bar, event staff, equipment rentals, linens and decor all come from one team. Our own collection includes more than 1,000 equipment and decor pieces and more than 450 linens, and we staffed more than 8,500 event shifts in 2025.

Yes. We offer equipment-only rentals from our own collection.

Yes. The Corcoran Event Collection is our online catalog of equipment, linens and decor. You can browse it, build mood boards for your event and share them with your planner, without hours on the phone or a trip to pick out pieces in person. To get access, ask your sales representative for an invitation. New to Corcoran? Contact us and we'll connect you with one.

Across Washington DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia, at offices, campuses, event venues and private homes. We've also catered as far afield as Annapolis, Baltimore and Frederick.

We're on the preferred or approved caterer lists at many venues in the DMV region, and have worked in dozens more. See the venues we cater, or ask us about yours.

Of course. We're happy to visit a new venue with you to plan the kitchen, load-in and timeline.

Your date is reserved once we have your signed agreement and initial deposit. The deposit is $2,500 for events of $5,000 or more, and half the estimated total for events between $2,000 and $5,000. Events under $2,000, and events booked within 10 days of the date, are paid in full when the agreement is signed. The deposit is non-refundable and is applied to your final invoice.

A second payment of 75% of the balance is due 30 days before the event, and the rest is due 10 days before.

Ten days before the event, along with your final menu choices. That count is the minimum you'll be billed for. We'll do our best to accommodate increases after that, subject to availability and a possible rush fee.

Cancellations must be made in writing. More than 30 days before the event, we keep the deposit, which you can apply to another event within 12 months, and refund anything paid beyond it. From 15 to 29 days before, we keep the deposit, and other payments become a credit toward an event within 12 months. Within 14 days of the event, the full estimated charges are due. Weather-related cancellations follow separate terms, which are in your proposal.

Since 1984. Chuck Corcoran founded the company, and it's still family-owned and based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Yes. Corcoran Caterers is certified by the Green Restaurant Association.