Vince and Joe's Catering Spikes as More People Avoid Costly Holiday Parties

is looking to capitalize on a growing trend this holiday season: catering an event at home rather than taking a large group out to dinner at a restaurant.

With the holiday season around the corner and the economy in flex, most Americans aren’t looking to scale back on the festivities; they are just looking for ways to entertain on a tighter budget.

According to the National Retail Federation, the 2011 holiday sales are forecasted to be about average, with a 2.8 percent increase in sales from last year for an expected grand total of $465.6 billion spent during the holidays.

“People are spending their money differently now. Everyone knows that,” said Vince and Joe’s manager Salvatore Munaco. “It was cool a few years ago to say how much you spent on an event or party. Now its cool to say how much you saved.”

Vince and Joe’s Gourmet Market has been catering events for nearly 15 years out of its Clinton Township location, but when the Shelby Township space opened five years ago in October, the catering business shot through the roof.

Munaco said the catering business spiked right about the time the economy took a nose-dive.

“People realize how economical caterers are,” he said. “It’s a lot more affordable to do an event through a caterer versus going to a hall and paying $25 to $30 a head. Here you can pay from $10-15 a person.”

Munaco said the orders for holiday parties are already starting to filter in, and this year, he’s seen more company holiday parties being catered at the boss's house rather than at a fancy restaurant.

In addition to being cheaper for the company, Munaco said it’s a more intimate setting.

“I think people get a different side of the boss when they go to the boss’s house for a dinner party,” he said.

Head chef Justin Veil said his staff has already put in their food orders for Thanksgiving season as they prepare for an expected 20 percent increase in fully-cooked meal orders.

Veil said what could take a family a whole week to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner can be picked up ready to be served in an hour.

Vince and Joe’s Raises the Catering Bar

Catering a party no longer consists of cold sandwiches and chips. Oh no, not at Vince and Joe’s.

Executive chef and Culinary Institute of America graduate Neil Cusumano uses the 5,000-square foot state-of-the-art kitchen and 25-person staff to create award-winning dishes that can cater a party of up to 500 people, from weddings to graduation parties.

“People are asking us to raise the bar. They are asking for pizza stations, raw sushi bars and pasta stations,” said Munaco.

Vince and Joe’s has five catering trucks on hand that can haul around the store’s traveling wood-burning pizza oven, pasta and meat carving stations, crepe stations, a covered gelato cart and a wheeled espresso machine.

In addition, an on hand sommelier will help the party-planner pair your food with a wine from around the world. To put the finishing touches on an in-home party, shoppers can pick up a fresh flower arrangement and desserts at the bakery.

“I think a lot of people have nice houses around here so they want to show it off. People have worked hard around here and made an honest living and love to entertain at home,” said Munaco.