What to serve at a funeral luncheon, and what it costs

Serve food that is warm, familiar and easy to eat standing up or at a folding table: baked mostaccioli, roasted or fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, a tossed salad and rolls, with cookies and coffee afterwards. That hot buffet costs $18.99 to $20.99 a person from us, with a 20-guest minimum. If the gathering is smaller or lighter, a sandwich and salad tray luncheon works out to about $12 to $15 a person. Plates, chafers, delivery and 9.25% sales tax are extra, and the numbers below show exactly how they add up. Call or text (630) 553-9533 if you would rather talk it through than read.

Start with three questions

1. How many people? Count the family, then add the people from the service who will follow to the hall. If the obituary gives the luncheon location, more will come. Give your caterer a range and ask for a menu that stretches.

2. Where will it be? A church hall or funeral home reception room usually has tables and sometimes a kitchen. A home does not need either; a buffet on the dining table works.

3. Hot or cold? Hot food comforts people and suits a midday gathering after a morning service. Cold trays suit a smaller group, a late-afternoon visitation or a room with no space for chafing dishes.

What to serve: the hot buffet

The dishes families ask us for most are the ones everyone eats, that hold well on a buffet and stretch when more people arrive than expected:

• Baked Mostaccioli, and Meatless Mostaccioli for vegetarians
• Herb Roasted Chicken or Pan Fried Chicken
• Baked Ham with Honey Mustard Glaze
• Mashed Potatoes and Buttered Green Beans
• Tossed Mixed Greens or Classic Caesar Salad
• Assorted Dinner Rolls & Butter
• Assorted Home Baked Cookies and Coffee

A buffet from Buffet Menu 1 gives you two entrées, three sides and bread for $18.99 per person. Buffet Menu 2 at $19.99 adds dishes such as Sliced Roast Turkey with Sage Stuffing & Gravy and Yankee Pot Roast. Buffet Menu 3 at $20.99 has carved sirloin, cod and salmon.

What to serve: the tray luncheon

For a smaller or lighter gathering, order trays from the platters menu (see Hors d'oeuvres & Platters). Most serve about 20 and there is no minimum.

• Assorted Finger Sandwiches, 60 pieces, $89
• Pinwheel Sandwiches, 60 pieces, $79
• Sandwich Platter of ham, turkey and roast beef, $79
• Fresh Vegetable Crudités, $59, and Seasonal Fresh Fruit Display, $74
• Tossed Mixed Greens, $49, or Macaroni Pasta Salad, $59
• Brownies, 35 count, $59

What a funeral luncheon costs

Prices below are ours, before delivery and 9.25% tax. Plates, napkins and silverware are $1.50 per person; a chafing dish to keep each hot dish warm is $17.

• Hot buffet, Menu 1: $18.99 per person. 40 guests $759.60; 60 guests $1,139.40; 100 guests $1,899.00
• Hot buffet, Menu 2: $19.99 per person. 40 guests $799.60; 60 guests $1,199.40; 100 guests $1,999.00
• Plates, napkins and silverware: $1.50 per person. 40 guests $60; 60 guests $90; 100 guests $150
• Chafing dishes, four for a typical buffet: $68
• Coffee, 50 servings with cups, sugar and creamer: $89
• Tray luncheon for 40 (finger sandwiches, pinwheels, crudités, fruit, two salads, cookies and brownies): $503, about $12.58 per person
• Delivery: from $40, by town
• Servers, optional: $35 per hour each, four-hour minimum, plus a 20% service charge on staffed events

Worked example, hot buffet for 60: food $1,139.40, settings $90, four chafers $68, coffee $89. Subtotal $1,386.40, or $23.11 per person. Delivery from $40 and 9.25% tax are added. Most families do not take servers for a luncheon; the driver sets everything out and the hall or family clears up.

How much to order

For a buffet, we portion the food to the headcount you give us, so the question is only how many. Order for your best guess plus about ten percent; a few extra plates of mostaccioli are far better than running out in front of the pastor. For trays, most serve about 20, so for 60 people order three of each main tray and two of each side. Our general guide to feeding 50 has more detail.

Timing and notice

Drop-off orders normally need three days' notice. Funerals rarely allow that. Call as soon as you have a date and a place, even if the headcount is a guess. We can often help with short notice, and we will tell you straight away what is possible. Give the caterer the time the service ends and the address of the hall; the food should be set out before the first car arrives.

Dietary needs

Tell the caterer about vegetarian, gluten-free, halal or allergy needs. Meatless Mostaccioli and the salads cover vegetarians without a separate order; Chicken Oreganato is gluten free. Our kitchen prepares allergy plates separately when asked.

Who pays and when

With us, a 25% deposit confirms the order when the quote is accepted. On short-notice orders, ask about the balance and we will work it out. If a church group or a friend is coordinating the luncheon on the family's behalf, they can be the contact and the family need not deal with it.

In Yorkville and the Fox Valley

We cook in downtown Yorkville and deliver to church halls, funeral homes and houses in Oswego, Plano, Montgomery, Sugar Grove, Aurora, Plainfield, Naperville and the towns between. The funeral luncheon catering page has more sample menus, or ask for a quote (see get a quote).

Questions

What is a typical funeral luncheon menu?

Baked mostaccioli, roasted or fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, a tossed salad and rolls, with cookies and coffee. For a lighter gathering, finger sandwiches, pinwheels, a vegetable and fruit tray, salads and brownies.

How much does a funeral luncheon cost per person?

A hot buffet is $18.99 to $20.99 per person plus $1.50 for plates, napkins and silverware and $17 per chafing dish. A tray luncheon is about $12 to $15 per person. Delivery starts at $40 and sales tax is 9.25%.

What is a repast?

A repast is the meal shared after a funeral or memorial service. Funeral luncheon, mercy meal, celebration-of-life lunch and repast all mean the same gathering, and the same menus suit it.

How much notice does a caterer need for a funeral luncheon?

Our drop-off orders normally need three days, but call as soon as you know the date. We can often help with short notice.

Do we need to hire servers?

No. For most luncheons the driver sets out the buffet with serving utensils and leaves. Servers are $35 an hour with a four-hour minimum if you want the room looked after.

Can the church hall or funeral home arrange it for us?

Often the church office or the funeral director will make the call for the family. Give them our number, (630) 553-9533, and the headcount, and we take it from there.