Cater Nation
Cater Nation is an online B2B marketplace for drop-off catering, connecting Fortune 500 enterprise customers in pharmaceutical, financial, healthcare, and technology sectors with 1,861 certified restaurant partners across 500+ U.S. metro areas via a commission-based platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersMidlothian, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cater Nation does
Cater Nation is an online B2B marketplace for drop-off catering, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Midlothian, Virginia. The platform connects enterprise customers — primarily Fortune 500 companies in pharmaceutical, financial services, healthcare, technology, and professional services — with a certified network of 1,861 local restaurants and caterers across 500+ U.S. metro areas. Since 2010 the platform has facilitated over 5.3 million orders, providing consolidated invoicing, spending controls, and SAP Concur expense-management integration for corporate accounts, alongside a tiered CN Rewards loyalty program (2 points per dollar online) redeemable for gift cards or charitable donations. Named enterprise customers include IBM, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Genentech, Morgan Stanley, Cisco, PwC, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and others.
Cater Nation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cater Nation
- Legal name
- Cater Nation
- Website
- https://caternation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cater Nation is an online B2B marketplace for drop-off catering, connecting Fortune 500 enterprise customers in pharmaceutical, financial, healthcare, and technology sectors with 1,861 certified restaurant partners across 500+ U.S. metro areas via a commission-based platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cater Nation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Catering Marketplace
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (72231)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drop-Off / Delivery Catering (THAFAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Restaurant Meal Delivery Platforms & Aggregators (AFAIAMAA), Drop-Off Catering & Boxed Meals (HSACAGAB)
Keywords
Where Cater Nation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Midlothian
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cater Nation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Commission from Restaurant Partners: Restaurant partners pay commission only when orders are received through the platform. There are no fixed costs for restaurants - they only pay a commission on actual orders received, making it a performance-based revenue model that drives incremental sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | CN Rewards Point Redemption Tiers |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cater Nation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cater Nation operates an online B2B food ordering marketplace that connects enterprises and consumers with a certified network of 1,861 local restaurants and caterers across 500+ US metro areas for drop-off catering. The platform supports same-day and last-minute ordering, dietary accommodations, enterprise invoicing, and SAP Concur expense integration, and is free for ordering customers; restaurant partners pay commission only on orders received.
Product overview
Cater Nation is an online catering marketplace platform that connects customers with local restaurants and caterers across 500+ metro areas in the United States. The core platform handles order placement, delivery management, and customer support, while specialized modules address specific use cases: Group Ordering for team meals, Corporate Accounts for enterprise invoicing and policy controls, Custom Events for special occasions, and Pharma/Sales Reps for healthcare professionals. The CN Rewards loyalty program provides 2-10% cashback on orders, supplemented by Refer-A-Friend and Refer-A-Caterer referral programs. SAP Concur integration enables seamless expense management for corporate customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cater Nation Online Catering Marketplace Online B2B food ordering marketplace that connects businesses and consumers with a network of 1,861 local restaurants and caterers for drop-off catering. Provides order placement, restaurant confirmation, delivery tracking, last-minute change handling, dietary accommodation, and enterprise administrative controls across 500+ US metro areas.
- CN Rewards Free loyalty rewards program paying 2–10% per order. Users earn 2 points per dollar for online orders and 1 point per dollar for phone/email orders; points are redeemable for gift cards (Target, Amazon, VISA, American Express) or Cater Nation credit.
- Refer-A-Friend Program Referral program that allows existing Cater Nation customers to earn bonus CN Rewards points when they refer friends who place orders on the platform.
- Refer-A-Caterer Program Partner referral program allowing customers and partners to refer restaurants or caterers to join the Cater Nation network, with rewards issued when the referred partner joins and fulfills orders.
- Corporate Accounts Enterprise solution offering consolidated invoicing, spending limits, tip policy controls, and account administrator dashboards for company-wide catering programs at Fortune 500 and mid-market companies.
- SAP Concur Integration Integration with SAP Concur that automatically imports Cater Nation receipts and invoices into Concur, enabling sales professionals and corporate users to reconcile catering expenses within their existing expense management workflow.
- Group Ordering Catering solution for organizing group meal orders for team meetings and events, allowing multiple selections and consolidated ordering.
- Custom Events Catering solution for corporate gatherings, celebrations, and special occasions requiring tailored menu options and event-level coordination.
- Pharma / Sales Reps Solution Specialized catering solution for pharmaceutical and other sales representatives, providing reliable on-time meal delivery for client meetings and sales presentations, with invoicing support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5,337,990 orders served since 2010
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cater Nation
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cater Nation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Cater Nation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
36 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SAP ConcurcoreSAP Concur integration allows receipts to automatically import into Concur for seamless expense management. This enables corporate customers to easily reconcile catering expenses and manage corporate travel and expense workflows.
- SubwaycoreNational restaurant chain partner providing catering services through the Cater Nation platform. One of many restaurant brands in the partner network serving corporate and consumer catering orders.
- IHOPcoreNational restaurant chain partner in the Cater Nation network providing breakfast and casual dining catering options.
- QdobacoreFast-casual Mexican restaurant partner in the Cater Nation catering network.
- McAlister's DelicoreDeli and sandwich chain partner providing catering services including sandwiches, salads, and sides.
- Maggiano's Little ItalycoreItalian restaurant partner offering family-style catering for corporate events and meetings.
- Carrabba's Italian GrillcoreItalian grill restaurant partner in the catering network serving corporate and personal events.
- Jersey Mike'scoreSub sandwich franchise partner providing catering services through the platform.
- Firehouse SubscoreSubs restaurant chain partner in the Cater Nation network for corporate catering.
- Dickey's Barbecue PitcoreBarbecue restaurant partner providing catering for corporate events and meetings.
- FuddruckerscoreHamburger restaurant chain partner in the catering network.
- Schlotzsky'scoreDeli and sandwich restaurant partner providing catering services.
- Einstein Bros BagelscoreBagel and coffee chain partner for breakfast catering services.
- Bob EvanscoreHome-style restaurant partner providing family-style catering for events.
- Ruby TuesdaycoreCasual dining restaurant partner in the catering network.
- Bertucci'scoreItalian restaurant partner providing brick-oven pizza and Italian catering.
- Honey Baked HamcoreHam and turkey restaurant partner providing catering services.
- California Pizza Kitchen (CPK)coreCalifornia-style pizza chain partner in the catering network.
- Sonny's BBQcoreBarbecue restaurant chain partner providing catering services.
- Smokey BonescoreBarbecue and grill restaurant partner in the network.
- Bucca di BeppocoreItalian restaurant partner offering family-style dining for catering.
- On The BordercoreMexican restaurant partner providing Tex-Mex catering services.
- Which WichcoreSandwich shop partner providing catering services.
- Chopt Creative Salad Co.coreSalad restaurant partner providing healthy catering options.
- Hungry Howie's PizzacorePizza restaurant chain partner providing catering services.
- Too Jay'scoreDeli restaurant partner providing traditional deli catering.
- PaisanoscoreItalian restaurant partner in the catering network.
- Maple StreetcoreRestaurant partner providing catering services through the platform.
- Marco's PizzacorePizza franchise partner in the catering network.
- BJ's Restaurant & BrewerycoreRestaurant and brewery partner providing casual dining catering.
- Cottage Inn PizzacorePizza restaurant partner providing catering services.
- Flipper'scoreRestaurant partner providing catering services.
- Round Table PizzacorePizza restaurant chain partner in the catering network.
- Mac GrillcoreRestaurant partner providing catering services.
- TSC RestaurantscoreRestaurant partner providing catering services.
- 1,861 Local Restaurants and CatererscoreNetwork of local independent restaurants and caterers across 500+ metro areas, all certified and held to high standards of excellence. Price markups are not allowed. Partners pay commission only when orders are received with no fixed costs.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cater Nation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ezCater: Largest venture-backed online marketplace for corporate catering in the US. Directly competes with Cater Nation for Fortune 500 enterprise catering contracts with a similar marketplace commission model, deeper restaurant supply, and dedicated account management.
- CaterTrax: Catering management software and online ordering platform serving restaurants and operators. Competes with Cater Nation on the supply side by giving caterers their own direct ordering capability.
- Fooda: Corporate cafeteria and pop-up catering platform serving large employers. Comparable model of connecting employers with local restaurants for on-site and drop-off catering.
- ZeroCater: Tech-enabled corporate catering marketplace offering managed meal programs for businesses. Directly comparable business model focused on recurring enterprise meal programs.
Broad incumbents
- Uber Eats for Business: Enterprise meal-program offering from Uber Eats covering individual employee meals and group/catering orders. A direct substitute for Cater Nation's corporate accounts given Uber's brand recognition, technology stack, and national reach.
- DoorDash for Work: Enterprise arm of DoorDash offering group ordering and catering for businesses. Leverages DoorDash's massive restaurant supply and logistics network, competing head-on for corporate accounts that Cater Nation targets.
- Grubhub (Corporate Orders): Major US food delivery platform with corporate ordering capabilities and broad restaurant supply. Targets the same enterprise segment as Cater Nation and competes on national coverage and technology investment.
Emerging players
- Gopuff (Business): Instant-needs delivery platform expanding into B2B food and catering programs. A well-funded emerging competitor in adjacent on-demand food delivery for businesses.
- Ordermark: Online ordering consolidation platform for restaurants, enabling them to manage delivery and catering orders across multiple channels. Adjacent to Cater Nation's supply-side value proposition.
- Slice: Ordering platform purpose-built for independent pizzerias and restaurants, including catering. Overlaps with Cater Nation's restaurant partner network on the supply side.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cater Nation social profiles
Digital presenceCater Nation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cater Nation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cater Nation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cater Nation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cater Nation
What does Cater Nation do?
Cater Nation operates an online B2B food ordering marketplace that connects enterprises and consumers with a certified network of 1,861 local restaurants and caterers across 500+ US metro areas for drop-off catering. The platform supports same-day and last-minute ordering, dietary accommodations, enterprise invoicing, and SAP Concur expense integration, and is free for ordering customers; restaurant partners pay commission only on orders received.
Is Cater Nation a public or private company?
Cater Nation is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cater Nation founded?
Cater Nation was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cater Nation based?
Cater Nation is headquartered in Midlothian, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cater Nation make money?
One revenue line is on record: commission from Restaurant Partners.
Who are Cater Nation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ezCater, CaterTrax, Fooda and ZeroCater. Broad incumbents are Uber Eats for Business, DoorDash for Work and Grubhub (Corporate Orders). Emerging players are Gopuff (Business), Ordermark and Slice.
Does Cater Nation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cater Nation.
What industry is Cater Nation in?
Cater Nation's product category is Online Catering Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAI, Drop-Off / Delivery Catering, with a secondary code of AFAIAMAA, Restaurant Meal Delivery Platforms & Aggregators. Its NAICS code is 722320 and its SIC code is 5810.