Michaels' Catering

What Michaels' Catering does

Michaels' Catering is a privately held, owner-operated full-service catering company headquartered in Savoy, Illinois, serving the Champaign-Urbana and broader East Central Illinois market since 1984. The company operates two distinct product lines. The first is full-service catering, encompassing design, planning, custom menu development, staffing, and execution for personal events (weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, religious and lifecycle celebrations) and corporate events (meetings, seminars, fundraisers, galas, product launches). The second is a high-volume box meal program, described by the company as the largest in Central Illinois, offering more than 15 standardized varieties (sandwiches, entrée salads, specialty dietary, and breakfast) at a uniform $14.50 per meal with a flat $10 delivery fee effective May 1, 2026, and a stated production run-rate of hundreds of meals per day.

The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed external capital, currently owned by three partners — Stephen Kovachevich (joined 1992, owner), Whitney Ackermann (returned 2008, partner since January 2017), and Ling Kuhn (joined 2019, owner since 2023) — supported by an office manager and an employee base of 11–50. Revenue is generated entirely through event catering contracts (priced per event) and unit-priced box meal sales, distributed through a direct-to-consumer channel anchored by phone (217-351-2500), an online ordering portal on michaelscateringevents.com, and delivery within the Central Illinois region. The company cites a track record serving high-profile individual clients including Supreme Court Justices, members of Congress, celebrities, and corporate executives, as well as institutional relationships with the University of Illinois leadership and local government, and distinguishes itself through culinary partnerships with Japan House and visiting chefs, including James Beard Award winners.

The underlying technology stack is minimal: a WordPress website, online order forms, and standard catering logistics. There is no proprietary software platform, mobile application, or disclosed API/SDK footprint. The competitive positioning rests on decades of local brand equity, owner experience (60 years combined), culinary creativity (including a Test Kitchen initiative), and full-service event execution rather than on technology differentiation. Growth signals in the record are modest — primarily the 2023 ownership transition, the formalized delivery fee, and ongoing culinary partnerships — and there is no evidence of geographic expansion, new product launches beyond incremental box meal variety, or material headcount acceleration.

Name

Michaels' Catering

Legal name

Michaels' Catering

Website

https://michaelscateringevents.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michaels' Catering is a privately held, owner-operated full-service catering company founded in 1984 and based in Savoy, Illinois, serving individuals, corporations, and community organizations across East Central Illinois with custom event catering and a high-volume, unit-priced box meal program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFAIAB

Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Catering & Banquet Foodservice

SECONDARYHSACAGAA

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise)

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Catering Coordination & Food Service (Non-restaurant)

SECONDARYHSACAGAD

Wedding & Reception Catering

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Catering Coordination & Food Service (Non-restaurant)

SECONDARYTHAFAIAK

Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Catering & Banquet Foodservice

Keywords

• Event catering services
• Box meal delivery
• Corporate event catering
• Wedding reception catering
• Custom menu design

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Catering Services: Full-service catering for high-end dinner receptions, themed events, weddings, corporate functions, and galas. Services include design, planning, menu customization, staffing, and execution.
2. Box Meals: Bulk box meal orders delivered to businesses and events. Over 15 varieties of sandwich, salad, and specialty dietary meals offered at $14.50 each. They do hundreds of box meals daily.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Michaels' Catering is a full-service catering company offering high-end dinner receptions, themed parties, business functions, fundraising galas, and intimate in-home dinner parties, with complete design, planning, menu customization, staffing, and execution. The company also operates as the number one provider of box meals in Central Illinois, offering over 15 varieties of sandwich, salad, specialty dietary, and breakfast options delivered to corporate and individual customers.

Product overview

Michaels' Catering is a full-service catering company offering two core product lines: Full Service Catering for high-end dinner receptions, intimate parties, theme parties, business functions, and galas; and Box Meals (including Executive Box Meals) as the number one provider of box meals in Central Illinois with over 15 varieties. The company also provides comprehensive event catering for both personal occasions (weddings, birthdays, memorials) and corporate functions (meetings, galas, product launches), supported by customized cuisine design and a Test Kitchen innovation program. Services are available throughout East Central Illinois, with delivery options and a flat $10 delivery fee for box meal orders effective May 1, 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Service Catering
• Box Meals

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Steven Cook and Michael SolomonovminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichaels' Catering collaborated with the owners of the 2019 James Beard Award Winning Outstanding Restaurant in Philadelphia. They brought modern Israeli cuisine to Sinai Temple featuring dishes like Pastilla, Beets with Tehina, Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Shank, and Mushroom Schnitzel with Fig Amba.
• Japan HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichaels' Catering enjoys involvement with Japan House and creates new and exciting food with the assistance of visiting chefs from Japan. They have made this a tradition and feature dishes like Yakisoba (Japanese Stir-Fried Noodles).
• Suzuko EnomotominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichaels' Catering worked with visiting famous Japanese Chef Suzuko Enomoto to create Matcha Tiramisu.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Abigail Kirsch: New York-based premier full-service caterer specializing in weddings, corporate galas, and social events with venue partnerships. Comparable on premium full-service event execution and menu customization for high-profile clientele.
• Proof of the Pudding: Multi-regional full-service catering and event production company serving corporate, social, and institutional clients. Comparable in offering both custom event catering and high-volume food service across multiple event types.
• Great Performances: Established NYC-based full-service event caterer with high-end event design, staffing, and customized menus. Comparable in service scope (full-service event catering with customization) but operates at much larger scale and broader geography.
• Pinstripes: National operator combining event venue, restaurant, and full-service catering (including off-premise corporate and social events). Comparable on integrated event/catering model and broad event-type coverage.

Direct peers

• Toast Catering & Event Management: Regional full-service caterer with wedding, corporate, and social event offerings similar to Michaels'. Comparable service mix (custom menus, staffing, bar service) and event-type coverage at a similar mid-market scale.
• Crave Catering: Local full-service caterer operating in Champaign, IL with overlapping event and corporate catering offerings. Direct geographic competitor for the same Champaign-Urbana wedding, corporate, and private-event market.

Emerging players

• ezCater: Largest corporate catering marketplace connecting offices to local caterers for individual and group orders. Comparable on the corporate box-meal and group-ordering business that is one of Michaels' two core product lines, but operates as a tech-enabled marketplace rather than caterer.
• Cater2.me: Corporate catering platform offering recurring office meal programs from local restaurants. Comparable on corporate daily-lunch/box-meal delivery model and B2B office food service positioning.

Regional players

• Catering by Design: Midwest-based custom catering company offering full-service event catering and corporate drop-off meals. Comparable on combining high-end event catering with corporate box-meal programs at a regional scale.
• Hamilton Catering: Midwest full-service caterer serving weddings, corporate, and social events with comparable customization, staffing, and dietary accommodation capabilities. Comparable regional full-service model, though based in a different Midwest geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michaels-catering-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michaels' Catering