First Choice Catering

What First Choice Catering does

First Choice Catering is a privately held, full-service catering company headquartered in Horn Lake, Mississippi, founded in the mid-1990s by John Woods and currently led operationally by Chef Jim Chandler. The company caters weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations across the Mid-South region (Northwest Mississippi and Shelby County, Tennessee) and has extended on-site services into broader U.S. and Canadian markets for select corporate clients. Its core operational technology is a fleet of mobile on-site cooking kitchens, a method John Woods is credited with helping originate; the company also owns and operates two event venues—The Red Barn Reception Hall in Hernando, MS (approximately 9,500 sq ft, up to 300 guests) and the Banquet Room near Memphis (~5,000 sq ft).

The product portfolio spans casual and formal dinners, eleven pre-designed dinner buffets, themed menus, action stations (including Award Winning Shrimp and Grits and BBQ-Tini stations), a ~250-item custom hors d'oeuvres menu, breakfast, holiday meals, boxed lunches, party trays, and Memphis Style BBQ and Mississippi pond-raised catfish specialties. Service tiers range from drop-off and delivery (within a 10+ mile radius) through full-service buffet, plated dinners, and action stations. Distribution is direct-to-customer through phone inquiries, online worksheets/questionnaires, and a curated preferred-vendor network of more than ten local partners covering DJ, bartending, floral, cake, photo, lodging, insurance, liquor, tent rental, and event planning.

Revenue is generated through three streams: per-event catering fees (quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with a stated 20% minimum service charge), venue rental at Red Barn ($2,500–$3,700 depending on day/package) and the Banquet Room ($800–$2,000, plus hourly rates), and an outside-caterer fee of $400–$500 charged to clients who bring in their own caterer at a First Choice venue. Marketing relies on the company's 30+ year reputation, its website, Facebook, and Instagram; named enterprise customers include Baptist Hospital. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no public revenue figures, no app or API, and no institutional investors.

Name

First Choice Catering

Legal name

First Choice Catering

Website

https://firstchoicecatering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Choice Catering is a privately held, full-service catering firm in Horn Lake, Mississippi that provides on-site mobile-cooking catering, venue rentals (The Red Barn and Banquet Room), and event planning for weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings across the Mid-South region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Banqueting (In-House Catering) (THAHAKAC), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), Drop-Off Catering & Boxed Meals (HSACAGAB)

Keywords

• Wedding catering services
• Corporate event catering
• Mobile on-site cooking
• Wedding venue rental
• Private party catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Horn Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Catering Services: Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, private parties, and banquets. Food is prepared and delivered with various service levels including drop-off, setup, full-service buffet, plated dinners, and action stations. The company also operates their own Red Barn venue for events.
2. Venue Rental: Revenue from renting the Red Barn Reception Hall and banquet facilities for weddings, receptions, and corporate events. Pricing varies by day of week and type of event.
3. Outside Caterer Fee: Fee charged when clients use outside caterers at their venue ($500 at Red Barn, $400 at banquet room)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

First Choice Catering is a full-service catering company that prepares and delivers food for weddings, corporate events, banquets, and private celebrations. The company operates mobile on-site cooking kitchens to serve hot, fresh food at client venues, complemented by company-owned event venues including The Red Barn Reception Hall in Hernando, Mississippi. Service formats include drop-off, setup, full-service buffet, plated dinners, action stations, and packaged items such as boxed lunches and party trays.

Product overview

First Choice Catering is a full-service catering company operating as a single unified offering with integrated venue services. The core product is on-site catering for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations, complemented by venue rental at The Red Barn Reception Hall and Banquet Room. Menu offerings span breakfast, lunch, dinner, hors d'oeuvres, holiday, and themed menus, with additional services including action stations, boxed lunches, party trays, and BBQ specialties. The company also provides online planning worksheets for event organization. All catering and venue services are offered as an integrated package.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Catered some of the largest and most prestigious events in the world
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Top Shelf Bar TendingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBartending services provided by Sam Hinson for events at the venue. The FAQ mentions working with Top Shelf Bartending for all bartending needs. They are the preferred bartender service for the Red Barn venue.
• DJ Wes' Mobile DJ ServicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred DJ service provider recommended by First Choice Catering for events. Contact Wesley Flint at 901-486-4599. Listed as a recommended vendor on the preferred vendors page.
• The Cake LadycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred wedding cake vendor recommended by First Choice Catering. Contact Lauren Rhoads at 662-536-2253. Listed on the preferred vendors page for wedding services.
• Hampton Inn - HernandominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecommended hotel partner for out-of-town guests attending events. Located at 2675 McIngvale Rd, Hernando, MS 38632. Contact Ellen Self or Steve Armer at 662-449-7737. Listed as a preferred vendor offering potential discounts to clients.
• American Event TentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTent rental partner recommended for outdoor events and additional space needs. Contact Shelly at 662-781-2280. Listed as a preferred rental vendor.
• Bride of BoazcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWedding and event planner recommended as a preferred vendor. Contact Donna Waddell at 901-239-1926. Listed as a preferred vendor for event planning services.
• Made-Ya-LookcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFloral and design vendor recommended for wedding decorations and arrangements. Contact Dawn Edwards at 901-413-4177. Listed as a preferred vendor on the vendors page.
• Pic Strip Photo BoothminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPhoto booth rental service recommended for events. Contact J.C. and Nicole Caldwell at 901-232-4075. Listed as a preferred vendor for entertainment services.
• Markel InsuranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent insurance provider recommended for wedding and event coverage. Contact at 1-855-422-5944. Listed as a preferred vendor for event insurance.
• Grapevine Wine and LiquorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLiquor supplier recommended for events. Contact Jimmy Tharp, Owner at 662-253-8836. Listed as a preferred liquor vendor.
• Sound engineer/DJ/Live Sound (Nick Wammack)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional sound engineering and DJ services for events. Contact Nick Wammack at 901-299-1649. Listed as a preferred vendor for audio services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: Global food service and uniform services company with significant event catering and corporate dining operations - a broad incumbent whose event and B2B catering lines compete for the same corporate accounts First Choice serves.
• Compass Group: Largest contract foodservice company globally with extensive corporate and event catering operations through subsidiaries like Chartwells and Levy - a broad incumbent competing for institutional and event catering spend.
• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company with event and corporate catering offerings - a broad incumbent that competes for institutional and corporate catering contracts at scale.
• Centerplate: National event and sports-venue catering company offering full-service catering for stadiums, conventions, and corporate events - directly comparable in event catering scope though at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Bon Appétit Management Co. Specialty food service company focused on corporate cafes, catering, and event hospitality - a broad incumbent with overlapping corporate catering and event services for similar institutional buyers.

Regional players

• Memphis BBQ Co. Regional BBQ and catering company in the Memphis/Mid-South area offering event catering, BBQ specialty menus, and on-site cooking - a regional peer with overlapping BBQ/catering specialty in First Choice's home market.

Direct peers

• Blue Plate Catering: Mid-market full-service caterer offering corporate catering, weddings, and venue events in a regional market - directly comparable in service mix, on-site cooking model, and customer segment focus.
• Tasty Catering: Chicago-based full-service caterer serving corporate events, weddings, and private parties with corporate drop-off and on-site service - a closely comparable mid-market regional caterer in business model and customer segments.
• Cuisine Unlimited: Regional full-service caterer with owned venue and on-site cooking for weddings, corporate, and private events - directly comparable mid-market operating model combining catering with owned event space.
• Tom Douglas Catering: Chef-driven full-service caterer offering weddings, corporate events, and private parties with award-recognized cuisine - comparable in service depth, premium positioning, and award-winning brand strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/JohnWoodsFirstChoiceCatering
• Instagraminstagram.com/firstchoicecatering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-choice-catering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 First Choice Catering