Ces & Judy’s Catering

What Ces & Judy’s Catering does

Ces & Judy's Catering is a privately held, founder-owned full-service event caterer founded in 1981 and headquartered in Frontenac, Missouri, serving the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area and Columbia, Illinois. The company generates revenue through customized catering engagements for weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations, with pricing built per event based on guest count, menu selection, service style, staffing requirements, equipment, and venue logistics. Service delivery includes menu planning, professional staffing, setup and cleanup, bar services backed by a full mobile liquor license, and coordination with venue operations. Distribution is anchored by preferred caterer status at 40+ partner venues across the region and the company's own 300-guest proprietary venue, The Venue at Maison du Lac, in Pacific, Missouri, opened in 2018. The company also serves private residences and non-partner venues on a full-service basis.

The underlying business is labor- and execution-intensive rather than technology-driven: no proprietary software platform, AI, or data product has been disclosed, and operations center on a 32+ year-tenured executive chef, co-owners with hospitality industry backgrounds (ex-Sheraton), and an event management team with Fortune 500 event-planning experience (ex-Maritz Travel). The company is listed on The Knot marketplace with Hall of Fame status, actively markets via Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and a content-rich website, and pursues a consultative sales motion that includes prospective-client tastings and personalized quoting.

Customer segments are diversified across weddings (the marquee vertical), corporate/business events, and social/private occasions such as fundraisers, galas, anniversaries, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and graduations. Long-running institutional partnerships — notably with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis since 1983 — supplement a long-tail of one-time event clients. The firm remains independently operated by co-founders Cecily Hoffius and Judith Bellos with no external investment, parent company, or acquisition disclosed.

Name

Ces & Judy’s Catering

Legal name

Ces & Judy's Catering

Website

https://cesandjudys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ces & Judy's Catering is a founder-owned, full-service St. Louis event caterer founded in 1981, serving weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations across 40+ partner venues plus its own 300-guest venue, The Venue at Maison du Lac.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE), Corporate & Business Event Catering (THAHAKAA), Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC)

Keywords

• Event catering services
• Wedding catering
• Corporate event catering
• Social event catering
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

St 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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Catering Services: Revenue is generated through full-service catering for events including weddings, corporate gatherings, and social celebrations. Pricing is customized per event based on guest count, menu selection, service style, staffing needs, and logistics. The company also operates their own event venue (The Venue at Maison du Lac).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ces & Judy's Catering delivers full-service event catering across the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area, providing customized menus, professional staff for setup, service, and cleanup, bar packages, and event logistics coordination for weddings, corporate events, and social celebrations. The company also owns and operates The Venue at Maison du Lac, a 300-guest event venue in Pacific, MO. Service is priced per event based on guest count, menu, service style, staffing, and logistics.

Product overview

Ces & Judy's Catering is a full-service catering company operating since 1981, offering a unified suite of catering services rather than a modular software platform. The core offerings include Wedding Catering with customizable packages (plated, buffet, family-style, and themed stations), Corporate Events Catering (breakfast, lunch, dinner for business gatherings), and Social Events Catering (private parties, fundraisers, galas). The company also owns and operates The Venue at Maison du Lac, a premier event venue accommodating up to 300 guests. All catering services include professional staff, setup/serving/cleanup, and optional bar packages. The company serves as a preferred caterer at over 40 venues across the Greater St. Louis area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Venue at Maison du Lac: Sophisticated, modern event space opened in 2018 in Pacific, MO with stunning views, accommodating up to 300 guests. Used for weddings, receptions, corporate galas, and social gatherings.
• The Venue at Madison Du Lac

Products and services

• Wedding Catering
• Corporate Events Catering
• Social Events Catering
• The Venue at Maison du Lac

Named customers1 record

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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Opera Theatre of Saint LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Began catering partnership in 1983, offering boxed dinners, special event meals, and full bar service during the six-week opera season. This annual tradition continues today, representing one of the company's longest-standing relationships.
• Missouri Botanical GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTook on exclusive catering contract in 1984, creating full-service catering and concessions program and managing the Visitor Center restaurant. Continued this relationship until 1999 after 15 successful years.
• 40+ Preferred Venue PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCes & Judy's is a preferred caterer at over 40 venues across the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan Area including The Bourbon Ballroom, City Museum, Contemporary Art Museum STL, The Factory, Foundary Art Centre, The Magic House, St. Louis Gateway Arch, and many more unique and traditional event spaces.
• Eric P. Newman Education Center at Washington University Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBecame exclusive caterer in 1996, serving events ranging from 10 to 350 guests, six days a week. Continued this exclusive relationship until 2019 after more than two decades.
• St. Louis Zoo (Painted Giraffe Café)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpened the Painted Giraffe Café at the St. Louis Zoo in 1989 and developed custom catering program for zoo events. Transitioned café operations to in-house zoo management in 2003 while continuing catering services for zoo functions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Feastivities Events: Pittsburgh-based full-service caterer providing weddings, corporate, and social event catering. Comparable horizontal segmentation and custom menu service model.
• Blue Heron Catering: Full-service off-premise caterer focused on weddings, corporate, and social events with venue partnerships. Comparable full-service catering model with similar client mix.
• Catering By Design: New England-based full-service caterer offering weddings, corporate, and social events with customized menus and event staffing. Closely comparable regional full-service catering business model.
• Distinctive Catering: Full-service caterer serving weddings, corporate, and private events with proprietary venues. Comparable service scope and event mix.
• The Lucile Group: Midwest (St. Louis) event catering and design company serving weddings, corporate, and private events with custom menus and event design services. Direct regional competitor with overlapping service offerings.
• 24 Carrots Catering: Full-service event caterer specializing in weddings, corporate, and social events with its own venue(s). Operates a similar premium, service-led catering model with custom menus and full event production, comparable in scope and positioning to Ces & Judy's.
• Crystal Signature Events: Regional full-service caterer offering weddings, corporate galas, and social events with in-house venue options. Comparable vertically integrated venue+catering model.

Broad incumbents

• Marriott Catering & Banquet Services: Major hotel chain offering in-house banquet and event catering as part of broader hospitality portfolio. Competes for corporate and social event catering spend at scale with broader geographic reach.
• Sodexo Live! (Event Catering): Large contract food service provider with dedicated event and venue catering operations. Competes for institutional, corporate, and large venue catering contracts that overlap with Ces & Judy's addressable market.

Emerging players

• Zola Weddings (Catering Marketplace): Wedding planning platform with vendor marketplace including catering listings. Represents the digital aggregation channel that increasingly competes for wedding catering customer attention and lead flow alongside The Knot.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CesandJudys
• Instagraminstagram.com/cesandjudys
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cesandjudys/_created
• Xx.com/cesandjudys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Ces & Judy’s Catering