Taste! To Go Catering and Events
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Taste! To Go Catering and Events firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Taste! To Go Catering and Events industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Taste! To Go Catering and Events is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Taste! To Go Catering and Events business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- Event Planning and Coordination: Event design, coordination, and production services including décor assistance, event setup, and full event management from planning through execution.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Full-Service Catering |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Taste! To Go Catering and Events product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Taste! To Go Catering and Events
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Taste! To Go Catering and Events technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Taste! To Go Catering and Events partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Taste! To Go Catering and Events competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Taste! To Go Catering and Events social profiles
Digital presenceTaste! To Go Catering and Events financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Taste! To Go Catering and Events leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Taste! To Go Catering and Events subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Taste! To Go Catering and Events funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Taste! To Go Catering and Events 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 Taste! To Go Catering and Events
What does Taste! To Go Catering and Events do?
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.
Is Taste! To Go Catering and Events a public or private company?
Taste! To Go Catering and Events is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Taste! To Go Catering and Events founded?
Taste! To Go Catering and Events was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Taste! To Go Catering and Events based?
Taste! To Go Catering and Events is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does Taste! To Go Catering and Events make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Catering Services are the primary driver. The others are event Planning and Coordination and venue Rental (Curate).
Who are Taste! To Go Catering and Events's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Embassy Suites by Hilton Des Moines Downtown, Marriott Des Moines Downtown, Hotel Fort Des Moines and Hilton Des Moines Downtown. Direct peers are Hy-Vee Catering, Inspired Catering & Events, Baratta's Ristorante, Distinctive Catering, Gateway Market and Crème Bakery & Café.
Does Taste! To Go Catering and Events have an API?
No public API is recorded for Taste! To Go Catering and Events.
What industry is Taste! To Go Catering and Events in?
Taste! To Go Catering and Events's product category is Catering and Event 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.