Taste! To Go Catering and Events

What Taste! To Go Catering and Events does

Taste! To Go Catering and Events is a privately held, full-service catering and event production company founded in 2004 and headquartered at 4700 University Avenue in Des Moines, Iowa. The company provides menu planning, food preparation, on-site cooking, bar service, equipment rental, event staff, and full cleanup for weddings, corporate events, and private parties across Central Iowa. Service styles include family style, formal plated, stations style, appetizers, and buffets, with on-site service ratios calibrated to format (e.g., 1 server per 18 guests for plated service). The business is led by co-owners Andrea Williams (Owner/Executive Chef) and Emily Gross (Owner/Managing Partner), supported by an Event Manager, a Chef, and more than 90 trained part-time staff for bartending, serving, butlering, bussing, prepping, and cleanup.

The company operates three integrated lines: full-service catering brought to client-chosen venues, event planning and coordination, and an owned event venue, Curate East Village Event Venue at 322 E Court Avenue, which opened in 2017 and was expanded in 2024 with a new Studio Room (>2,000 sq ft) alongside the existing Gallery Room (>6,000 sq ft). A subsidiary service, Taste Mobile Bar, extends the offering into standalone mobile bartending. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations rely on a central kitchen in the Waveland Neighborhood and mobile equipment for off-site events.

Revenue is generated through project-based catering contracts, event coordination fees, and venue rentals at Curate. Pricing follows a deposit-and-milestone structure (e.g., $1,000 non-refundable deposit for weddings, 50% due two months prior, final balance two weeks prior; $250 deposits for weekday events), with operations fees added for off-site catering to cover equipment, vehicles, and fuel. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, combining direct client outreach, referrals, and partnerships with 40+ venues across Central Iowa including wineries, barns, farms, lodges, and event centers. Marketing relies on the company website, organic social media, testimonials, and event photography. Customer segments are horizontal (weddings, corporate events, private parties), with no disclosed named-anchor clients. The company has been voted 'Best of DSM' by multiple Des Moines media outlets and is independently owned with no external funding or parent company involvement.

Name

Taste! To Go Catering and Events

Legal name

Taste to Go

Website

https://tastetogo.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Taste! To Go is a privately held, full-service catering and event production company founded in 2004 in Des Moines, Iowa, serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties across Central Iowa, and operating the owned Curate East Village Event Venue and Taste Mobile Bar service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catering and Event Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA), Catering Coordination & Bar Service Management (Non-restaurant) (HSACAAAH)

Keywords

• Full-service catering
• Wedding catering
• Corporate event catering
• Event venue rental
• Mobile bar service

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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 including menu planning, food preparation, on-site cooking, service staff, equipment rental, and cleanup. Menu styles include family style, formal plated, station style, appetizers, and buffets. Revenue is project-based per event.
2. Event Planning and Coordination: Event design, coordination, and production services including décor assistance, event setup, and full event management from planning through execution.
3. Venue Rental (Curate): Curate East Village Event Venue generates rental revenue from hosting events at their owned venue. Gallery Room (6,000+ sq ft) and Studio Room (2,000+ sq ft) available for standalone or combined rental.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Taste! To Go is a full-service catering and event production company serving Central Iowa since 2004. It provides menu planning, food preparation, on-site cooking, professional service staff, equipment, bar service, setup, and cleanup for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. The company also operates Curate, an 8,000+ sq ft owned event venue in the Historic East Village of Des Moines, and offers Taste Mobile Bar as a portable bartending service.

Product overview

Taste! To Go Catering & Events is a full-service catering and event company operating since 2004 in Central Iowa. The core offering includes catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private parties with multiple service styles (buffet, plated, family style, cocktail stations). The company operates Curate - East Village Event Venue (opened 2017, expanded 2024) as its primary owned event space, and offers Taste Mobile Bar as a mobile bartending service. All offerings are provided as integrated services within the company's single unified business model rather than as separate software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Taste! To Go Catering & Events Full-service catering and event planning company serving Central Iowa, offering catering for weddings, corporate events, and private parties with multiple service styles including buffet, plated, family style, and cocktail stations.
• Wedding Catering Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 20 years of continuous operation since 2004
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown: Hotel with event spaces and in-house catering for weddings, corporate events, and meetings. Broader hospitality player competing for the same Central Iowa events with venue-and-catering bundle.
• Marriott Des Moines Downtown: National hotel chain with downtown Des Moines location offering full-service event catering and venue space. Large incumbent with national brand recognition competing for corporate and wedding events.
• Hotel Fort Des Moines: Historic Des Moines hotel offering event venue space and catering services. Competes for wedding and corporate event bookings with bundled venue+catering offering similar to Taste!+Curate.
• Hilton Des Moines Downtown: Large downtown Des Moines hotel offering full-service catering and event venue space. Competes with both Curate (venue) and Taste! catering (food service), but as part of a broader hospitality portfolio rather than specializing in catering.

Direct peers

• Hy-Vee Catering: Major Iowa-based grocery chain with comprehensive catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private parties across the Midwest. Direct competitor in the Central Iowa catering market with significant scale and brand recognition.
• Inspired Catering & Events: Des Moines-area full-service caterer offering similar wedding, corporate, and private party catering services. Direct regional competitor with comparable service styles and customer segments.
• Baratta's Ristorante: Des Moines Italian restaurant offering full-service catering for weddings and private events. Competes for the same wedding and private party catering market in Central Iowa.
• Distinctive Catering: Des Moines-area full-service caterer serving weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Direct regional competitor with overlapping service style and target customer segments.
• Gateway Market: Des Moines specialty grocer offering catering services for corporate and private events. Competes directly in the Central Iowa full-service catering space with overlapping customer base.
• Crème Bakery & Café: Des Moines bakery and café with established catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private parties. Direct regional competitor with similar service offering and target customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/taste-to-go-catering-and-events

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Taste! To Go Catering and Events