Atlanta’s catering industry serves one of the South’s most active event markets, supplying food and service for weddings, corporate gatherings, galas, intimate dinner parties, and large-scale cultural events that reflect the city’s diverse population and thriving business community. The city’s combination of Fortune 500 corporate headquarters, an active wedding industry, and major convention and entertainment venues creates year-round demand for professional catering at all price points and scales. Atlanta caterers have developed reputations that often extend well beyond the metro area, with the best operations attracting clients from across the Southeast who are willing to invest in superior food and service for important occasions.
When selecting a caterer in Atlanta, taste and service execution are equally weighted considerations. A caterer who produces exceptional food but cannot coordinate timely service, maintain proper temperature control, or manage staff effectively on the day of an event has failed at half the job. Request a tasting before finalizing any commitment for a major event, examine menus for evidence of genuine culinary creativity rather than standardized banquet templates, and ask specifically about the caterer’s staffing model including whether day-of staff are employees or temporary workers without specific training in the company’s service standards. Georgia caterers operating above a certain revenue threshold must hold current food handler certifications and comply with commercial kitchen regulations. Verify insurance coverage and written contract terms before paying any deposit.
Top Caterer Companies in Atlanta
1. Talk of the Town Catering and Special Events
Website: https://www.talkofthetownatlanta.com
Service Area: Metro Atlanta, North Georgia
Awards & Recognition: Named Top 20 Caterers in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for 8 consecutive years, The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame
Services:
- Wedding catering and full event coordination
- Corporate event catering
- Intimate in-home dinner parties
- Gourmet fare and custom menu development
- Professional event staff
About: Talk of the Town Catering and Special Events has earned one of Atlanta’s most distinguished catering reputations over years of consistent recognition by both industry media and clients. Named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 20 Caterers list for eight consecutive years and inducted into The Knot’s Best of Weddings Hall of Fame, the company has demonstrated a sustained commitment to quality that goes beyond any single event. Clients include Atlanta Magazine, Hennessy Automobile Companies, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and the Atlanta Falcons Discovery Center, reflecting the caliber of corporate and institutional accounts the company serves. Talk of the Town provides comprehensive catering services from menu development through event-day execution, with particular strength in weddings and high-profile corporate functions.
2. Proof of the Pudding
Website: https://www.proofofthepuddingatl.com
Service Area: Metro Atlanta, statewide Georgia events
Awards & Recognition: Consistently rated Atlanta’s Best Caterer and food service management company by clients and media
Services:
- Corporate event catering
- Wedding and private event catering
- Food service management for venues
- Customized event production
- Five state-of-the-art kitchens in Atlanta
About: Proof of the Pudding is Atlanta’s premier go-to operation for large-scale and complex event catering, operating five state-of-the-art kitchens across the Atlanta market that give the company exceptional production capacity for events ranging from intimate lunches to 5,000-person galas. The company has been consistently recognized as Atlanta’s Best Caterer by client satisfaction surveys and media coverage, a distinction that reflects the quality of their culinary output and the professionalism of their service model. Proof of the Pudding’s innovative approach to presentation and personalized service has made them a preferred vendor at Atlanta’s landmark venues, and their food service management contracts demonstrate the trust institutional clients place in the organization.
3. Figs and Honey Catering
Website: https://www.figsandhoneycatering.com
Service Area: Metro Atlanta and surrounding Georgia
Services:
- Wedding catering with custom menu design
- Corporate and private event catering
- Elegant presentation and event design integration
- Full-service catering from consultation through cleanup
- Dietary restriction accommodations
About: Figs and Honey Catering has built a strong reputation in Atlanta’s competitive wedding catering market by combining genuine culinary quality with a client-focused approach that treats every event as a unique creative collaboration. The company uses only the finest locally sourced ingredients where possible, resulting in menus that reflect the seasons and the regional food culture of Georgia while meeting the diverse dietary needs of modern Atlanta event guests. Figs and Honey’s attention to presentation and plating brings an aesthetic dimension to catering that many purely logistics-focused operators overlook, and client testimonials consistently cite the elegance of the food presentation alongside the quality of the taste. The full-service model covers everything from initial consultation through event-day execution and cleanup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What should I ask a potential caterer before hiring them for an Atlanta event?
A: Start by requesting references from events of similar size, format, and budget to yours, and follow up with those references directly rather than simply reading testimonials on the caterer’s website. Ask specifically about their staffing model and whether day-of staff are trained employees or third-party temporary workers. Understand exactly what is included in the quoted price, including delivery, setup, serving staff, breakdown, equipment rental, and gratuity, as catering quotes vary widely in what they encompass. Confirm that the caterer holds current food handler certifications and appropriate liability insurance. Finally, taste the actual food before committing, as presentation quality in promotional materials does not guarantee culinary excellence.
Q: What does professional catering typically cost for events in Atlanta?
A: Catering costs in Atlanta vary significantly based on event format, menu complexity, service style, and guest count. Budget estimates for professionally catered Atlanta events typically range from $75 to $150 per person for buffet service and $100 to $200 per person for plated dinner service, excluding bar service and gratuity. Wedding catering with full service tends to fall between $125 and $250 per person at quality operations. Corporate lunch catering for business meetings runs considerably less, often in the $25 to $60 per person range for delivered service. Bar service, rentals, staffing, and gratuity are typically quoted separately and can add 30 to 50 percent to the base food cost.
Q: How far in advance should I book a caterer for a major Atlanta event?
A: For Atlanta weddings, booking your caterer six to twelve months in advance is strongly recommended, with peak season dates in April through June and September through November requiring the longest lead times. Corporate events with more flexible timing can often be accommodated with two to four weeks notice for simple catering formats and four to eight weeks for complex productions. Atlanta’s most in-demand caterers like Talk of the Town and Proof of the Pudding fill their premium weekends early, and waiting until three months out significantly reduces your options at the quality level. An initial consultation call to check availability costs nothing and saves the disappointment of discovering your preferred caterer is already booked.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s catering market is served by some of the South’s most capable and recognized operators, from the eight-time Atlanta Business Chronicle recognized Talk of the Town to the multi-kitchen production capacity of Proof of the Pudding and the elegant culinary creativity of Figs and Honey Catering. Each of these companies has demonstrated through consistent performance that they can deliver on the promise of exceptional food and service for Atlanta’s most important events. Contact any of these caterers early in your event planning process to check availability and begin the conversation about your specific vision.