VILLAGE HEARTH

What VILLAGE HEARTH does

Village Hearth Catering is a privately held, owner-operated catering business established in 1994 by Tom and Terry Kongslien in Hewitt, Wisconsin. Originally operating as Village Hearth Fine Dining & Catering from 1994 to 2005, the company discontinued full-service restaurant operations in 2005 and now operates exclusively as an event caterer serving weddings, corporate functions, family reunions, and community gatherings across central Wisconsin with a minimum 100-guest commitment. The company employs approximately 12 people and books events directly through phone, email, and a static website.

The company offers three core buffet tiers — Picnic ($19 per person), Classic ($19 per person), and Elegant ($21 per person) — each centered on the signature Roast Prime Beef entrée. Add-on modules include boxed meals, breakfast buffets, appetizers, desserts, custom menus, and subcontracted upgrades such as china service, linen service, and waitstaff. Delivery infrastructure relies on owner-operated vehicles equipped with non-electrical food warmers and chillers, with multi-sided self-serving buffet line setups at the venue. Service scope includes setup, on-site monitoring, teardown, and boxing of customer leftovers in VHC containers.

Revenue is generated through per-person catering fees augmented by 10-18% service fees, distance-based delivery charges ($30-$100+), and subcontracted upgrade margins. A 20% deposit secures an event date, and prices are scheduled to increase by $1 per person in 2027. Marketing is conducted almost entirely through word-of-mouth referrals, supported by a Facebook page and a paid food-sample/kitchen-tour consultative selling motion ($50 fee). Village Hearth maintains preferred-caterer status at at least eight central Wisconsin wedding and event venues — including Rustic Occasions Event Barn, The Outpost Ranch, Wildwood Pavillion, Erons Event Barn, Acre 96, Lot 671, Memories Ballroom, and Hillview Farms Wedding Barn — which serve as the primary referral channel for new event bookings.

Name

VILLAGE HEARTH

Legal name

Village Hearth Catering

Website

https://villagehearthcatering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Village Hearth Catering is a privately held, owner-operated central Wisconsin catering business founded in 1994 that delivers buffet catering for weddings, corporate events, and community gatherings of 100 or more guests, operating from Hewitt, WI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Buffet Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Buffet catering
• Wedding catering
• Event catering
• Corporate catering
• Catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hewitt

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Buffet Catering Services: Village Hearth generates revenue through per-person catering fees for buffet services. They offer three buffet tiers (Picnic, Classic, Elegant) with pricing from $19-$21 per person. Additional revenue streams include service fees (18% for full service, 10% for setup-only), delivery fees based on distance ($30-$100+), and optional upgrades through sub-contracted vendors. A $50 fee is charged for food samples and kitchen tours for non-booked events. Payment methods include check, cash, Apple Pay, and credit cards (with 3.51% processing fee).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

VILLAGE HEARTH is an owner-operated catering company established in 1994 in Hewitt, Wisconsin, that provides buffet-style catering for weddings, corporate events, family reunions, and community gatherings across central Wisconsin. The company offers three buffet tiers (Picnic, Classic, and Elegant) priced between $19–$21 per person with a 100-guest minimum, supplemented by add-on offerings such as boxed meals, breakfast buffets, appetizers, desserts, and custom menus.

Product overview

Village Hearth Catering is an owner-operated catering business established in 1994, offering buffet catering services throughout central Wisconsin. The company provides three distinct buffet menu tiers: the Picnic Buffet (casual outdoor-style with grilled items and comfort sides), the Classic Buffet (mid-tier with roasted meats and traditional sides), and the Elegant Buffet (premium offerings featuring dishes like Prime Beef Burgundy and Chicken Marsala). Additional offerings include boxed meals, breakfast buffets, appetizers, desserts, custom menus, and event upgrades such as china service and waitstaff. The company operates on a minimum 100-guest commitment and includes setup, monitoring, teardown, and leftover packaging in their service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Picnic Buffet Casual American picnic-style buffet priced at $19 per person, featuring smoked pulled pork, brats, hamburgers, and accompanying sides. Designed for weddings, corporate events, and gatherings of 100+ guests seeking a relaxed menu.
• Classic Buffet Mid-tier buffet priced at $19 per person featuring Roast Prime Beef, baked or fried chicken, and traditional sides such as real mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, and tossed salad. Suited for weddings, corporate functions, and family events of 100+ guests.
• Elegant Buffet Premium-tier buffet priced at $21 per person featuring Prime Beef Burgundy, Chicken Marsala, and sides including roasted rosemary red potatoes, California-blend vegetables, and mixed greens salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Intended for upscale weddings, corporate galas, and refined gatherings of 100+ guests.
• Boxed Meals Pre-packaged individual boxed meals for events where plated, sit-down service or buffet-style dining is not practical, suitable for corporate meetings, working lunches, and on-the-go gatherings.
• Breakfast Buffets Buffet-style morning meal service for early-day corporate meetings, retreats, family gatherings, and community events requiring breakfast provisions.
• Appetizers Add-on appetizer service priced at $3 per person, including vegetable trays, cheese and sausage platters, and similar offerings designed to complement buffet catering or stand alone for receptions and cocktail hours.
• Desserts Add-on dessert service priced at $3 per person, including brownies, lemon bars, and other baked goods to complement buffet offerings at weddings, receptions, and corporate events.
• Custom Menus Bespoke menu design service for clients with specialized dietary requirements, themed events, or specific culinary preferences that fall outside the standard Picnic, Classic, and Elegant buffet packages.

Quantifiable outcome

• Celebrating 33 years of business in 2026 - demonstrates long-term sustainability and customer trust
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rustic Occasions Event Barn (Loyal)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer status at this wedding barn venue in Loyal, WI. VHC is recommended by the venue as a preferred catering vendor for events held at their facility.
• The Outpost Ranch (Wisconsin Rapids)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer at this ranch venue, providing catering services for events held at the venue.
• Wildwood Pavillion (Marshfield)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer at Wildwood Pavillion in Marshfield Fairgrounds.
• Erons Event Barn (Stevens Point)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer status at this wedding event barn in Stevens Point.
• Acre 96 (Milladore)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer at Acre 96 venue in Milladore.
• Lot 671 (Auburndale)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer at Lot 671 venue in Auburndale.
• Memories Ballroom (Stevens Point)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer at Memories Ballroom in Stevens Point.
• Hillview Farms Wedding Barn (Merrill)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred caterer at Hillview Farms Wedding Barn in Merrill.
• Licensed Sub-Contracted VendorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVillage Hearth sub-contracts licensed vendors for optional upgrades including china service, linen service, appetizers, desserts, beverages, and waitstaff. These are independent licensed vendors that VHC recommends to customers for event upgrades.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bunzel's Catering: Family-owned Milwaukee-area caterer offering buffet and plated service for weddings, corporate events, and social gatherings. Closely comparable in Midwestern regional positioning, family ownership structure, and event-driven menu tiers.
• Bartolotta Catering & Events: Wisconsin-based upscale event caterer offering on-site and off-premise catering for weddings, corporate events, and galas. Comparable in customer segments (weddings/corporate), geographic region, and full-service buffet/plated offerings.
• Blue Plate Catering: Chicago-based event caterer providing full-service off-premise catering for weddings, corporate, and social events with multi-tier menu packages. Comparable in event-driven model, multi-tier pricing, and full-service delivery/setup/breakdown offering.
• Abigail Kirsch Caterers: Upscale New York-area event caterer serving weddings, corporate, and galas with full-service execution. Comparable in premium positioning, off-premise delivery model, and high-end clientele expectations; differs in scale and geography.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo: Global food services and facilities management company with a large event catering and corporate hospitality practice. Operates in the same broader foodservice category and overlaps with corporate-event catering but at vastly larger scale.
• Aramark: Global provider of food, facilities, and uniform services with a sizable event and hospitality catering arm. Comparable end-customers (corporate, large events, sports/entertainment venues) but very different scale, ownership, and breadth of services.
• Compass Group / Chartwells: One of the largest contract foodservice operators worldwide, including catering, corporate hospitality, and event services. Comparable contractual event catering model but with institutional ownership and national scale.

Regional players

• Sterling Catering: Regional Midwest event caterer serving weddings, corporate functions, and private events with full-service off-premise offerings. Comparable in regional Midwestern positioning, multi-tier menus, and owner-operator service model, though typically in metro areas.

Emerging players

• ezCater: Online marketplace connecting businesses to local caterers for corporate meal orders. Not a direct competitor but a customer-acquisition channel and competitive force reshaping how event catering is discovered and booked; VHC has no presence on the platform.
• Fooda: Workplace and corporate catering platform that brings local restaurants and caterers into offices for recurring meal programs. Partial overlap with corporate catering segment; VHC does not currently participate in this corporate-meal-program channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/villagehearthcatering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/village-hearth

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 VILLAGE HEARTH