EAT YOUR HEART OUT CATERING CO., INC.

What EAT YOUR HEART OUT CATERING CO., INC. does

Eat Your Heart Out Catering Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned full-service catering company headquartered at 1230 SE 7th Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1975 by Monica Grinnell and Marilyn Gilbaugh as a small cafe on NW 23rd Avenue, the business opened a bistro in 1984 and refocused exclusively on full-service catering in 1992 when the bistro was divested to Santa Fe Taqueria. The company serves private clients (weddings, holiday dinners, rehearsal dinners, intimate gatherings) and corporate clients (meetings, employee events, client entertainment) across the Portland metropolitan area and greater Pacific Northwest, operating with a small team of approximately 8 employees.

The company's core offering spans five catering categories — Wedding Feasts (customizable menus for 200+ guests), Holiday Dinners (seasonal and themed menus), Box Lunches (three pre-packaged tiers from $15 to $24 per person), Cocktail Parties (passed hors d'oeuvres and themed menus), and Luncheons & Dinners (buffet-style menus from $18 to $21 per person) — augmented by add-on services including event rental coordination, fully licensed bar service, floral referrals, and venue recommendations. Monica Grinnell's cross-disciplinary training as an interior designer is positioned as a differentiator, enabling integrated cuisine, settings, and decor for events. Menus emphasize locally produced, seasonal fresh food and produce.

Revenue is generated on a per-event, per-person basis with an 18% gratuity added to food costs and beverages charged by consumption; minimum guest counts apply by event type (30+ for luncheons and dinners, 200+ for weddings). The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer, supported by a network of venue, wine, photography, and rental partners and a presence on third-party channels including Yelp, Google Maps, Instagram, Facebook, and Grubhub. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, or institutional ownership.

Name

EAT YOUR HEART OUT CATERING CO., INC.

Legal name

Eat Your Heart Out Catering Company, Inc.

Website

https://eatyourheartout.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eat Your Heart Out Catering Co., Inc. is a family-owned full-service catering company in Portland, Oregon that prepares and serves meals for weddings, corporate events, cocktail parties, holiday dinners, and box-lunch orders across the Portland metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Caterers (72232), Food Service Contractors (722310)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), Wedding & Reception Catering (HSACAGAD), Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Full-service catering
• Wedding catering services
• Corporate box lunches
• Event catering Portland
• Holiday dinner catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Catering Services: Full-service catering for events including weddings, corporate functions, holiday dinners, cocktail parties, and luncheons. Revenue is generated through per-person pricing for meals, with additional charges for rentals, staff, beverages, and delivery. Gratuity of 18% is added to food costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eat Your Heart Out Catering Co., Inc. is a full-service catering company in Portland, Oregon that prepares and serves food for weddings, corporate events, holiday parties, cocktail receptions, luncheons, and box lunch deliveries. Its menu offerings use locally produced, seasonal fresh food and include customizable passed hors d'oeuvres, buffet, and plated options, with add-on bar service and rentals coordination. Pricing is per person, with minimum guest counts of 30+ for luncheons and dinners and 200+ for weddings, plus an 18% gratuity on food costs.

Product overview

Eat Your Heart Out Catering is a full-service catering company offering a portfolio of distinct service offerings: Wedding Feasts (customized wedding catering for 200+ guests with various menu options), Holiday Dinners (seasonal and themed holiday menus), Box Lunches (three tiers of pre-packaged corporate lunches), Cocktail Parties (passed hors d'oeuvres and themed party catering), and Luncheons & Dinners (buffet-style corporate catering). The company also provides add-on event services including rental coordination, bar services, floral design, and venue referrals. All catering is prepared with locally produced, seasonal fresh food and produce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Feasts Full-service wedding catering offering customizable menus for ceremonies and receptions, including passed hors d'oeuvres (priced for 200+ guests), buffet options (e.g., Northwest Traditional at $21.50/person, Mediterranean Extravaganza at $28.50/person, Fabulous Choices at $28/person), and plated meals for weddings sized at 200 or more guests.
• Holiday Dinners Seasonal and holiday catering menus featuring themed offerings such as Fall Feast, Elegant Winter Evening, Classic Holiday Dinner, Hanukkah Feast, and Mexican Holiday, prepared and served at private events.
• Box Lunches Pre-packaged lunch catering offered in three tiers: Classic Box Lunch ($15/person; with soda or water $17/person), Elegant Style Box Lunch ($20/person; with soda or water $22/person) with entrée choices such as baked salmon or grilled chicken, and Executive Buffet Out of the Box ($24/person) with entrée, sides, cookies, and disposable dinnerware.
• Cocktail Parties Cocktail party catering featuring passed hors d'oeuvres and themed menus (e.g., Cocktails at the Office, I Dream of Vegetables, Mediterranean Festival, Elegant Party Fare, Serious Food) plus sweet endings.
• Luncheons & Dinners Buffet-style luncheon ($18/person) and dinner ($21/person) catering with themed menu options including Tuscan Style, Thai Style, Nona's, Northwest Best, Spring Dinner, and Organic Delight; pricing is based on 30+ guests.
• Bar Services Fully licensed and insured bar service offering full bar with bartenders (minimum 1 per 100 guests), beer, wine, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages charged by consumption (e.g., soda/bottled water $1.50 each, sparkling waters/juices $2.50 each, microbrew beers $72 per case, house wines/champagnes $192 per case and up).

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Bethany F PhotographyminorOthersPhotography partner for event documentation. Listed on the partners page of Eat Your Heart Out Catering website.
• Krissy Allori PhotographyminorOthersPhotography partner for event documentation. Credits appear on the photos page of the Eat Your Heart Out website.
• Powers Photography StudiosminorOthersPhotography partner for wedding and event photography services.
• Bridal Veil LakesminorOthersWedding venue partner recommended for events.
• Vista Hills WeddingsminorOthersWedding venue partner for outdoor and vineyard weddings.
• Ponzi VineyardsminorOthersWine partner providing Oregon wines for events.
• Union Wine Co.minorOthersWine partner providing Oregon wines for events.
• Portland Bride & GroomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partner in the Portland wedding industry. Cross-promotional relationship through wedding industry publications and directories.
• The Party ProsminorOthersEvent rental and party supply partner.
• Saffron FieldsminorOthersVenue partner for events, likely a restaurant or event space.
• West End TheaterminorOthersVenue partner, possibly for theatrical or large event spaces.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• RingSide Catering: Portland-based full-service catering company specializing in corporate events, weddings, and box lunches. Closely comparable on box lunch and corporate catering offerings that overlap with Eat Your Heart Out's executive buffet and box lunch tiers.
• Vibrant Table Catering: Portland-based full-service caterer offering weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings with seasonal Pacific Northwest menus. Directly competes in the same Portland metro market with similar service tiers.
• Crave Catering (Portland): Portland-based wedding and event catering company with custom menu design. Compares directly on core wedding catering offering and local market overlap.
• A La Carte Catering: Portland area catering provider serving weddings and corporate functions with buffet and plated service. Comparable on event type, geography, and customer base.
• Food in Bloom Catering: Portland-area farm-to-table catering company focused on weddings and corporate events with locally sourced ingredients. Comparable to Eat Your Heart Out on menu philosophy, customer base, and regional positioning.
• Devil's Food Catering: Portland-based full-service catering company serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Directly comparable to Eat Your Heart Out in service mix, geographic market, and per-person pricing model.
• Andy's Catering (Portland): Portland-based catering company serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Directly comparable in service mix and Portland metro footprint.

Regional players

• Paula Le Duc Catering: San Francisco Bay Area luxury catering company where Eat Your Heart Out's successor Chloe Fennell trained. Comparable as a high-end full-service event caterer serving weddings and corporate clients.
• Newman's Fish & Fowl (Newman's at 988): Portland-based catering and event venue operator. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest full-service caterer with a similar event-focused service model.

Broad incumbents

• Bon Appétit Management Company: Large national food service contractor and corporate caterer headquartered in the Bay Area. Comparable as a broader-scale player in contract catering for corporate events, though it operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/163765732923
• Instagraminstagram.com/eatyourheartoutportland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eat-your-heart-out-catering-co.-inc.

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 EAT YOUR HEART OUT CATERING CO., INC.