Design Cuisine
Design Cuisine is a Washington DC-area premier special-event caterer and venue manager founded in 1983, serving corporate, government, wedding, philanthropic, and sporting clients with full-service catering, exclusive venue operations at Union Station and Mount Vernon, and Michelin-pedigree culinary partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersArlington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Cuisine does
Design Cuisine is a premier special-event catering and venue-management company founded in 1983 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company provides full-service catering for seated dinners, cocktail receptions, weddings, galas, corporate events, sporting events, and government/diplomatic functions across DC, Virginia, and Maryland, and operates as the exclusive caterer and venue manager for Union Station and George Washington's Mount Vernon — two of the region's largest and most iconic event venues. It has also held the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon contract since 2017 and caters marquee sporting events including the Preakness Stakes and Mubadala Citi DC Open.
The company's product portfolio spans core catering services, venue management and exclusive catering partnerships, a sister-company rental business (DC Rental) for glassware, china, linens, furniture, and equipment, and a co-branded Michelin-pedigree culinary experience delivered through a partnership with The Inn at Little Washington. Underlying capabilities emphasize culinary craft, event production logistics, and sustainability — Design Cuisine holds 3 Star Certified Green Caterer status with the Green Restaurant Association, having implemented more than 50 environmental operating steps including hormone-free local sourcing, sustainable seafood guidelines, snout-to-tail butchering, single-stream recycling, and biodiesel production from used cooking oil. Leadership documents 200 years of combined culinary tenure across executive chefs and event production specialists.
Design Cuisine operates a direct enterprise field-sales model, generating revenue primarily through per-event catering contracts and long-term venue management agreements, with budget tiers ranging from $5K to $101K+ per event. The company joined Elior North America through a strategic acquisition and now operates as a subsidiary within that diversified hospitality platform. It is led by an executive team including VP of Operations Shannon Shaffer, Regional Director of Sales Rachel Chadderdon, General Manager of Venues Maggie Lahr, and Executive Chef John Haywood, alongside co-founders Bill Homan, Steve Veletsis, and Horst Klein who established the business after transitioning from an earlier Capitol Hill restaurant, The Broker.
Design Cuisine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Cuisine
- Legal name
- Design Cuisine
- Website
- https://designcuisine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Design Cuisine is a Washington DC-area premier special-event caterer and venue manager founded in 1983, serving corporate, government, wedding, philanthropic, and sporting clients with full-service catering, exclusive venue operations at Union Station and Mount Vernon, and Michelin-pedigree culinary partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Cuisine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Catering and Venue Management Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering) (THAHAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Catering Equipment, Rentals & Setup (Non-decor) (HSACAGAL)
Keywords
Where Design Cuisine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arlington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Design Cuisine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Event Catering Services: Full-service catering for special events including seated dinners, cocktail receptions, weddings, galas, corporate events, and milestone celebrations. Revenue generated through per-event contracts based on guest count and menu selection.
- Venue Management: Exclusive catering and venue management services for iconic venues including Union Station and George Washington's Mount Vernon. Provides comprehensive operations and on-site execution for events at partner properties.
- DC Rental (Sister Company): Premier rental source for glassware, fine china, designer table linens, flatware, chairs, and distinctive furniture. Sister company providing ancillary rental revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Event budget ranges from $5K to $101K+ |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Design Cuisine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Cuisine is a full-service special event caterer and venue manager operating in the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland region. It produces seated dinners, cocktail receptions, weddings, galas, corporate events, milestone celebrations, presidential inaugural functions, and large-scale sporting event food and beverage programs, holding exclusive catering rights at iconic venues such as Union Station and George Washington's Mount Vernon. Its sister company, DC Rental, supplies premium event rentals including glassware, fine china, linens, flatware, chairs, and furniture.
Product overview
Design Cuisine is a premier special event catering and venue management company operating in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland for over 35 years. The company offers a unified portfolio of services anchored by full-service catering (seated dinners, cocktail receptions, weddings, galas, and luncheons) combined with exclusive venue management partnerships at iconic locations like Union Station and Mount Vernon. The portfolio includes DC Rental (equipment rentals via sister company), the Design Cuisine x The Inn at Little Washington partnership (bringing Michelin-starred culinary experiences to private events), and specialized services for presidential inaugurals and major sporting events. The company is a subsidiary of Elior North America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DC Rental: A sister company of Design Cuisine that has become a premier rental source for exceptional selection of glassware, fine china, designer table linens, flatware, chairs, and distinctive furniture.
Products and services
- Catering Services
- Venue Management and Exclusive Catering
- Event Management Services
- Presidential Inaugural Events
- Sporting Event Catering
- Design Cuisine x The Inn at Little Washington
- DC Rental
Quantifiable outcome
- 20,000 guests served annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Cuisine
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Design Cuisine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Design Cuisine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Elior North AmericacoreDesign Cuisine joined the Elior North America family through a strategic company sale, allowing the company to leverage larger scale operations and expand reach nationally alongside sister brands within the Elior portfolio.
- DC RentalcoreSister company providing premier rental source for glassware, fine china, designer table linens, flatware, chairs, and distinctive furniture. Enables complete dining experience transformation for events.
- The Inn at Little WashingtonflagshipPartnership with Michelin and James Beard award-winning Chef Patrick O'Connell and The Inn at Little Washington for exclusive catering of on-premise events over 100 guests. Curated multi-course feast experiences for star-studded affairs. Extended partnership brings Inn's Michelin-starred culinary vision to private events throughout DC, MD, VA, and beyond.
- Union StationflagshipDesign Cuisine is the exclusive caterer and venue manager for Union Station, one of DC's most iconic historic landmarks. Manages all five distinctive event spaces (29,750 sq ft, 4,475 venue capacity, 2,200 seated dining capacity). This partnership marked prolific strategic growth for the company.
- George Washington's Mount VernonflagshipExclusive caterer for George Washington's Mount Vernon, the most popular historic home in the country. Manages events at the estate (30,000 sq ft event space, 2,000 guests, 920 seated capacity) including indoor and outdoor events on the sprawling estate.
- The Lodge at Moss NeckcoreExclusive resort partner for weddings, corporate retreats, family reunions, and social events on 1,200 acres of countryside near DC Metro area. Venue features 23,600 sq ft event space, 468 guests capacity, 250 seated capacity.
- Venue Partnership Network (66+ venues)coreRobust network of 66 iconic venue partnerships across Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland including Smithsonian museums, National Gallery of Art, National Archives, National Building Museum, DAR Constitution Hall, and many more prestigious properties where Design Cuisine is a trusted partner.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Design Cuisine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Elior North America: Elior North America is Design Cuisine's parent company and a diversified hospitality and food services group; relevant as the strategic owner that shapes Design Cuisine's capital, expansion, and operational direction.
Broad incumbents
- Restaurant Associates: Restaurant Associates is a broad corporate and cultural-venue caterer owned by Elior, providing premium event and corporate dining services that overlap with Design Cuisine's higher-end corporate and institutional event work.
- Aramark Sports & Entertainment: Aramark is a large-scale food service and facility management provider with a dedicated Sports & Entertainment division that competes with Design Cuisine on stadium, arena, and major-event catering contracts across the US.
- Sodexo Live!: Sodexo Live! is a major hospitality operator providing catering, concessions, and event services at stadiums, arenas, and cultural venues globally, serving as a broader incumbent that overlaps with Design Cuisine's sporting-event and venue catering business.
Direct peers
- Main Event Caterers: Main Event Caterers is a regional DC-area full-service caterer specializing in corporate events, weddings, and social gatherings, directly comparable to Design Cuisine in service breadth and event type.
- Wolfgang Puck Catering: Wolfgang Puck Catering is a national premium event caterer with celebrity-chef positioning, competing with Design Cuisine for high-profile galas, corporate events, and luxury weddings at major venues across the US.
- Occasions Caterers: Occasions Caterers is a Washington DC-based premier event caterer that competes head-to-head with Design Cuisine on weddings, corporate galas, and nonprofit fundraisers, serving the same DMV clientele with similar luxury positioning.
- Centerplate: Centerplate (now part of Sodexo Live!) specializes in catering and concessions at stadiums, arenas, and convention centers, directly competing with Design Cuisine for sporting-event contracts like Preakness Stakes and Mubadala Citi DC Open.
- Windows Catering Company: Windows Catering Company is a long-standing DC-area caterer that provides full-service event catering for corporate and private events, operating as a direct competitor to Design Cuisine in the premium DMV segment.
- Ridgewells Catering: Ridgewells Catering is one of Design Cuisine's most established direct competitors in the Washington DC metropolitan area, offering full-service catering for weddings, galas, and corporate events of comparable scale and price point in the same regional market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Cuisine social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Cuisine compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Design Cuisine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Cuisine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Design Cuisine subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Design Cuisine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Cuisine 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 Design Cuisine
What does Design Cuisine do?
Design Cuisine is a full-service special event caterer and venue manager operating in the Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland region. It produces seated dinners, cocktail receptions, weddings, galas, corporate events, milestone celebrations, presidential inaugural functions, and large-scale sporting event food and beverage programs, holding exclusive catering rights at iconic venues such as Union Station and George Washington's Mount Vernon. Its sister company, DC Rental, supplies premium event rentals including glassware, fine china, linens, flatware, chairs, and furniture.
Is Design Cuisine a public or private company?
Design Cuisine is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Cuisine founded?
Design Cuisine was founded in 1983. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Design Cuisine based?
Design Cuisine is headquartered in Arlington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Design Cuisine make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Catering Services are the primary driver. The others are venue Management and DC Rental (Sister Company).
Who are Design Cuisine's main competitors?
Elior North America is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Restaurant Associates, Aramark Sports & Entertainment and Sodexo Live!. Direct peers are Main Event Caterers, Wolfgang Puck Catering, Occasions Caterers, Centerplate, Windows Catering Company and Ridgewells Catering.
Does Design Cuisine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Cuisine.
What industry is Design Cuisine in?
Design Cuisine's product category is Event Catering and Venue Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAKAC, Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering), with a secondary code of HSACAGAL, Catering Equipment, Rentals & Setup (Non-decor). Its NAICS code is 722320 and its SIC code is 5810.