Plates
Plates Catering is a private, Larchmont-based catering company founded in 2019 by Chef Matthew Karp, providing full-service event catering — weddings, corporate functions, dinners, brunches, BBQs, and by-the-tray — across the New York metropolitan area via direct sales and ezCater.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLarchmont, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Plates does
Plates Catering is a private, founder-operated catering company headquartered in Larchmont, New York, that delivers full-service event catering across the New York metropolitan area. The company was founded in 2019 by Chef Matthew Karp following 15 years operating PLATES on the Park Restaurant, and it offers six distinct menu formats — Barbecue, Brunch, Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Wedding Reception, and By the Tray — covering everything from casual drop-off trays (with items such as fried chicken trays at $85–$165) and backyard BBQs through 5- and 7-course tasting menus and plated wedding receptions. Off-premise events carry a 20-guest minimum; sales tax of 8.375% applies and a 20% service charge is added to most events (10% for cocktail parties). The full-service offering bundles culinary execution with event coordination, decor specialists, florists, musicians, and lighting experts, allowing Plates to position as an end-to-end event partner rather than a pure food vendor.
Plates sells direct-to-consumer through its website (platesonthepark.com), phone, and email inquiries, with menus, package structures, and an online catering inquiry form as the primary digital surface. It supplements the consumer channel with a listing on the ezCater corporate marketplace for business catering, and it maintains preferred venue partnerships with Burden Mansion (Manhattan), The Foundry (Queens), and the Scarsdale Women's Club for on-premise events. Customer segments are horizontally split across weddings and life events (primary), corporate events, and private social gatherings, with no named enterprise or repeat institutional customers disclosed.
The business carries no disclosed technology platform, proprietary software, or AI/ML components; operations are event-based, project-priced, and supported by a 11–50-person team. Pricing is per-person or per-package, billed on a pay-as-you-go basis with custom quotes for each event. There are no funding rounds, no external investors, no M&A activity, and no public revenue disclosures, consistent with a small founder-owned lifestyle-services business.
Plates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Plates
- Legal name
- Plates Catering
- Website
- https://platesonthepark.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Plates Catering is a private, Larchmont-based catering company founded in 2019 by Chef Matthew Karp, providing full-service event catering — weddings, corporate functions, dinners, brunches, BBQs, and by-the-tray — across the New York metropolitan area via direct sales and ezCater.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Plates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Catering Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties) (THAFAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)
Keywords
Where Plates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Larchmont
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Plates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Catering Services: Full-service catering for events of any size, including weddings, cocktail parties, corporate events, family gatherings, and intimate dinners. Revenue is generated through custom catering packages with per-person pricing, menu selection, and service charges.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Basic BBQ Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ 2 Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ 3 Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BBQ 4 Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | By the Tray Menu Items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wedding Reception Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner Party Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Brunch Party Packages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktail Party Packages |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Plates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Plates Catering provides full-service, customized catering for events of any size — from intimate dinner parties to large weddings and corporate functions — across the New York metropolitan area. The company operates seven distinct menu lines (Barbecue, Brunch, Cocktail Party, Dinner, Wedding, By the Tray, and full-service catering) featuring menu customization, professional chefs, servers and bartenders, plus optional decor, florists, musicians, and lighting specialists. It also accepts ready-to-serve tray orders for pickup or delivery for casual gatherings.
Product overview
Plates Catering operates as a single, unified catering service offering full-service planned events. The portfolio consists of specialized menu offerings including Barbecue, Brunch, Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Wedding Reception, and By the Tray services. All offerings share the same core catering infrastructure and Chef Matthew Karp's culinary team, with menu customization available across all event types. Packages range from casual drop-off trays to full-service plated events with chefs, servers, and bartenders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Service Catering End-to-end event catering including menu customization, event coordination, professional chefs, servers and bartenders, plus optional decor, florists, musicians, and lighting specialists. Serves clients in their homes or at alternate sites for events of any size.
- Barbecue Catering Menu
Companies that use Plates
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Plates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Plates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Burden MansioncorePreferred venue partner for on-premise catering events in Manhattan. The mansion provides an elegant Uptown setting for wedding receptions and special events.
- The FoundrycorePreferred venue partner for on-premise catering events in Queens. The Foundry offers a distinctive industrial-chic venue for events.
- Scarsdale Women's ClubcorePreferred venue partner in Scarsdale for on-premise catering services, serving local community events.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Plates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Great Performances: NYC-based, women-owned catering and events company focused on high-end weddings, corporate, and cultural events with venue partnerships across Manhattan. Closely comparable full-service offerings, pricing model, and event-driven business.
- Abigail Kirsch Catering: Long-established Westchester/Metro NYC off-premise caterer specializing in weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings at premier venues. Directly comparable target market (Hudson Valley/Westchester), full-service model, and venue-relationship-driven GTM.
- Thomas Preti Events: NYC-area premium event caterer led by Chef Thomas Preti, with luxury wedding, social, and corporate business anchored by venue relationships. Comparable founder-chef model, premium positioning, and end-to-end event execution.
- Bentley's Catering: Regional off-premise caterer serving weddings, corporate, and social events in the greater NYC market. Comparable service model, multi-channel distribution, and event-type breadth.
- Lew Michaels Events: Westchester County-based catering and event-production company serving weddings and corporate clients across the NYC metro. Directly comparable in geography, service breadth (food plus decor/lighting), and mid-to-premium price positioning.
Others
- ezCater: Corporate catering marketplace through which Plates sells. Not a competitor in production catering, but a channel partner and aggregator whose marketplace dynamics (commission, customer ratings, price transparency) materially shape Plates' corporate-segment economics.
Broad incumbents
- Daniel Catering by Daniel Boulud: Catering arm anchored to the Michelin-starred Daniel restaurant, serving luxury weddings, corporate, and private events in Manhattan. Comparable founder-chef pedigree and luxury positioning, but with brand and capital backing from a flagship fine-dining restaurant.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Plates social profiles
Digital presencePlates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Plates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Plates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Plates 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 Plates
What does Plates do?
Plates Catering provides full-service, customized catering for events of any size — from intimate dinner parties to large weddings and corporate functions — across the New York metropolitan area. The company operates seven distinct menu lines (Barbecue, Brunch, Cocktail Party, Dinner, Wedding, By the Tray, and full-service catering) featuring menu customization, professional chefs, servers and bartenders, plus optional decor, florists, musicians, and lighting specialists. It also accepts ready-to-serve tray orders for pickup or delivery for casual gatherings.
Is Plates a public or private company?
Plates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Plates founded?
Plates was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Plates based?
Plates is headquartered in Larchmont, United States, in the North America region.
How does Plates make money?
One revenue line is on record: catering Services.
Who are Plates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Great Performances, Abigail Kirsch Catering, Thomas Preti Events, Bentley's Catering and Lew Michaels Events. ezCater is listed as an others. Daniel Catering by Daniel Boulud is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Plates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Plates.
What industry is Plates in?
Plates's product category is Catering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAB, Event Catering (Weddings, Social, Private Parties), with a secondary code of HSACAGAA, Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise). Its NAICS code is 722320 and its SIC code is 5810.