Dutzel's Catering & Events

What Dutzel's Catering & Events does

Dutzel's Catering & Events is a privately held, founder-operated catering company headquartered in Independence, Missouri, serving the greater Kansas City metropolitan area including Lee's Summit. Founded in 2008 by Jeff Dutzel, the business operates with a lean 5-person team and provides full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions such as family reunions and celebrations of life. The company offers end-to-end event support including menu design, food preparation, delivery, on-site staffing, bar service, leftover handling, and a recent expansion into tableware rentals (chargers, dinnerware, flatware, and glassware in multiple styles). Core wedding packages begin at $38 per guest with a 25% non-refundable deposit, while corporate events carry a $1,000 food-and-beverage minimum plus a 20% production fee, and boxed-meal orders are also subject to minimums and production fees.

The business has no proprietary technology stack; it runs on direct-to-consumer sales via phone, text, and email, with custom proposals built per event and private tastings offered to wedding clients. Revenue is generated through three streams: full-service catering (per-guest pricing, F&B minimums, production and labor fees), tableware and event rentals (per-guest rental fees), and corporate boxed meals. The go-to-market motion is purely sales-led and personal, supported by an SEO-optimized website, a listing on The Knot wedding marketplace, customer reviews and testimonials, and active membership in local chambers (Lee's Summit, Independence, Mid-America LGBT Chamber) and Rotary clubs. The company holds LGBTBE certification, is inspected by the Independence Health Department, and was recognized as the 2024 Caterer of the Year by Wed KC and as a finalist for LGBTBE Certified Business of the Year.

Dutzel's competitive positioning rests on a one-stop service model combining food, staffing, and rentals, strong wedding-segment reputation in the Kansas City market, and the personal involvement of the founder in client relationships. There are no disclosed external investors, no parent company, and no indications of M&A activity; operations remain local and concentrated in the Kansas City MSA.

Name

Dutzel's Catering & Events

Legal name

Dutzel's Catering & Events

Website

https://dutzelscatering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dutzel's Catering & Events is a privately held, founder-operated catering company in Independence, Missouri, providing full-service wedding, corporate, and special-event catering plus tableware rentals to clients across the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Wedding & Reception Catering (HSACAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate & Business Event Catering (THAHAKAA), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

Keywords

• Catering services
• Wedding catering
• Corporate catering
• Event rentals
• Special event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Independence

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Catering Services: Full-service catering for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions. Includes food preparation, delivery, setup, and on-site staffing. Revenue generated through per-guest pricing, food and beverage minimums, and production fees.
2. Tableware and Event Rentals: Rental of dinnerware, flatware, glassware, chargers, and linens for events. Revenue generated through rental fees based on guest count and table size requirements.
3. Boxed Meals: Individually boxed sandwiches and salads for corporate events. Minimum order requirements plus production and delivery fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Full-service catering company in the greater Kansas City area that prepares, delivers, sets up, and staffs food and beverage for weddings, corporate events, and special occasions. Offers per-guest all-inclusive packages, custom menus, private tastings, drop-off and staffed event service options, and complementary tableware rentals.

Product overview

Dutzel's Catering & Events is a catering company offering wedding catering, corporate catering, and special events services primarily in the greater Kansas City area. The core product is Wedding Catering, which operates alongside Corporate Catering sub-products (Breakfast, Apps/Lunch/Dinner, Boxed Meals, Build Your Own) and Special Events Catering. The company also offers Tableware Rentals as an add-on service featuring chargers, dinnerware, flatware, and glassware in various styles and colors. Additional offerings include Build Your Buffet Menu and Themed Buffet Options, Allergen Menus for dietary accommodations, Full Bar Service, and Private Tastings. All-inclusive packages start at $38 per guest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Catering

Named customers7 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Camp RiseminorOthersCommunity organization that Dutzel's Catering is invested in. Nature of involvement appears to be charitable support or sponsorship.
• Rotary Scout CampminorOthersYouth camp organization supported by the company through community investment.
• Rotary Lee's SummitminorOthersLocal Rotary club chapter that the company supports through membership and community involvement.
• Lee's Summit ChamberminorOthersLocal chamber of commerce membership providing networking and business development opportunities in the Lee's Summit area.
• Independence ChamberminorOthersLocal chamber of commerce membership providing networking and business development opportunities in the Independence area.
• Mid America LGBT ChamberminorOthersLGBT chamber of commerce membership. Company is LGBTBE certified through NGLCC.
• International Caterers AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership providing resources, networking, and best practices for catering professionals.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jack Stack Catering: The catering arm of a well-known KC BBQ brand, serving weddings and corporate events across the metro. Comparable on BBQ-themed buffet menus, drop-off and staffed services, and the corporate boxed-meals category.
• Brancato's Catering: Kansas City-based full-service caterer serving weddings, corporate, and social events across the metro. Comparable in menu customization, full-service staffing, and event size capability within the same local market.
• Continental Catering (Kansas City): KC-area catering company serving weddings, corporate functions, and private events. Directly competitive on full-service event catering, custom menus, and corporate drop-off offerings within the same metro.
• Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions: Long-established Kansas City wedding and event caterer offering full-service catering, custom menus, and event design. Directly comparable in target customer (KC weddings and corporate events) and in service model (staffed events with custom proposals).
• The Russos Catering: Kansas City wedding and corporate caterer offering personalized menus and on-site service. Comparable in customer base (KC brides and corporate event planners) and in custom-proposal, sales-led go-to-market motion.

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: Large national food service and catering company that operates across corporate, sports, and event catering. Comparable on corporate catering and event food service delivery, but serves a much broader portfolio of customers and segments.
• Centerplate (Sodexo Live!): Major event and venue catering incumbent operating at stadiums, convention centers, and large event venues. Comparable on full-service event catering capability, but competes primarily for large institutional and venue-based contracts rather than the SMB wedding/corporate segment.

Regional players

• Olive Tree Catering: Midwest wedding and event caterer with a comparable full-service model including custom menus and rentals. Comparable on service tiering and customer base, though operating in a different Midwest city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dutzel's-catering

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Dutzel's Catering & Events