NAICS 722320: Caterers
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing single event-based food services. These establishments generally have equipment and vehicles to transport meals and snacks to events and/or prepare food at an off-premise site. Banquet halls with catering staff are included in this industry. Examples of events catered by establishments in this industry are graduation parties, wedding receptions, business or retirement luncheons, and trade shows. Cross-References. Establishments primarily engaged in--Show more
NAICS 722320 – Caterers encompasses the provision of prepared food and beverage services for events, institutional settings, and temporary operations, including on-site meal service, banquet catering, mobile food service, and contract food management. This sector supports federal operations requiring scalable, compliant, and logistically complex dining solutions for personnel in remote, temporary, or high-density environments.
Industry Spending Overview
Federal obligations, top contractors and agencies, and related industry codes for NAICS 722320.
AI Industry Description
NAICS 722320 – Caterers encompasses the provision of prepared food and beverage services for events, institutional settings, and temporary operations, including on-site meal service, banquet catering, mobile food service, and contract food management. This sector supports federal operations requirin...
NAICS 722320 – Caterers encompasses the provision of prepared food and beverage services for events, institutional settings, and temporary operations, including on-site meal service, banquet catering, mobile food service, and contract food management. This sector supports federal operations requiring scalable, compliant, and logistically complex dining solutions for personnel in remote, temporary, or high-density environments. Caterers in government contracting often operate under strict food safety standards, including HACCP protocols and USDA/FDA compliance, and may be tasked with serving specialized dietary needs such as kosher, halal, or allergen-free meals. The services are critical to sustaining mission readiness across DoD installations, federal training centers, and community service programs, where consistent, high-volume food delivery is essential to operational continuity. Top contractors in this sector include CATERING LINK INC, BPM SERVICES INC, AVENUE CONTRACT SOLUTIONS, LLC, and S'MEL GOOD CATERING LLC, representing a mix of small businesses and mid-sized primes with proven expertise in federal food service logistics. These firms frequently compete for task orders under GSA schedules and IDIQ contracts, leveraging niche capabilities in mobile catering, event-specific menus, and rapid deployment support. The Department of Defense is the leading buyer, procuring catering services for military bases, training exercises, and temporary field operations. The Corporation for National and Community Service also awards contracts to support meal programs for AmeriCorps volunteers and community service events. Demand is driven by mission-critical needs for nutritionally balanced, safe, and timely food service in non-traditional settings. The competitive landscape is characterized by high entry barriers due to regulatory compliance and logistical complexity, but opportunities persist for contractors with strong food safety certifications, scalable supply chains, and experience in federal procurement frameworks. Growth is steady, fueled by ongoing deployment cycles and the federal government’s emphasis on reliable, mission-aligned food services.
Small Business Size Standard
The SBA threshold that decides who can bid NAICS 722320 work as a small business.
The SBA cap for this NAICS (13 CFR 121.201). A business at or under it can self-certify as small for work in this code, which is what makes it eligible for a small-business set-aside. The cap is set per NAICS, so the same company can be small in one code and not in another.
13 CFR 121.201, effective January 1, 2026. The SBA revises the table roughly once a year.
Top Contractors
Companies with the highest total award value under NAICS 722320, ranked by dollars won.
| Company | Total Awards | Contracts |
|---|---|---|
| SARDIS CATERING INC. | $23.7M | 2 |
| DUTCH MILL CATERING, LLC | $6.3M | 1 |
| YTI CATERING LLC | $5.1M | 4 |
| CAROLINA RENTAL GROUP INC | $2.9M | 3 |
| GUARDIAN TECHNICAL CONTRACTING | $2.8M | 1 |
| EUROLATIN HOSPITALITY CORP | $2.4M | 1 |
| THE BRIDGE GENERAL TRADING AND CONTRACTING COMPANY W.L.L. | $2.3M | 1 |
| JTG CORPORATION PTE. LTD. | $1.7M | 6 |
| MISCELLANEOUS FOREIGN AWARDEES | $954K | 20 |
| FRANKIES RESTAURANT AND CATERING, LLC | $941K | 9 |
Top Agencies
Federal agencies directing the most contract spending toward NAICS 722320.
Competition
How many companies historically bid on federal awards in NAICS 722320, from bidder counts reported on USAspending.
Median under 3 bidders per reported award. · 21,924 reported awards
Median Bidders
2
Per reported award, all-time
Single-Bid Awards
44%
Share of reported awards with one bidder
10+ Bidder Awards
2%
Share of reported awards with 10+ bidders
Reported Awards
21,924
94% of 23,416 total awards
Share of reported awards in each bidder-count bracket per federal fiscal year.
How this code compares up the NAICS hierarchy. Parent cohorts pool every code under their prefix, so they are the steadier baseline when a 6-digit sample is thin.
| Industry Family | Competition | Median Bidders | Single-Bid | Bidder Mix | Reported Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
722320This Code Caterers | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 44% | 21,92494% of 23,416 | |
72232NAICS Industry | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 44% | 21,92494% of 23,416 | |
7223Industry Group Special Food Services | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 31% | 88,25090% of 98,216 | |
722Subsector | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 33% | 93,71690% of 104,452 | |
72Sector Accommodation and Food Services | Fewer Bidders | 2 | 39% | 287,43389% of 321,827 |
Bidder counts reported on past federal awards in this NAICS (USAspending). An open opportunity has no bidders yet, so this is the historical norm for similar work, not a fact about this solicitation. Not all awards report bidder counts, and fewer bidders often means incumbent-held work rather than an easier win. Federal reporting of bidder counts fell from ~96% of awards (FY2016) to ~30% (FY2018 onward); the chart shows shares of reported awards, and washed-out stretches mark years with fewer than 30 of them.
Related NAICS Codes
Industries similar to Caterers, by shared sector, subsector, and industry group.
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