Planning a catered event in the Chicago suburbs takes more than picking a food vendor. You need a caterer who shows up on time, brings enough food, and doesn’t embarrass you in front of your guests. After years of catering everything from backyard graduations to corporate events in Will County and beyond, here’s what I’ve learned about how to plan it right.

Start with Your Headcount — Then Pad It

The most common mistake people make when ordering catering is underestimating how much people eat at an outdoor or event setting. People eat more at buffet-style events, especially when the food is good. A safe rule: add 10–15% to your expected headcount when you’re planning quantities.

For BBQ catering specifically, plan on roughly a half pound of smoked meat per person as a base — more if you’re not running heavy sides, less if you have a full spread of sides and appetizers. Kids eat less, but they also eat more dessert, so it usually evens out.

Our Packages

West 52 BBQ structures catering through three military-inspired tiers. Here’s how to think about each one.

The Platoon — Up to 25 Guests

The Platoon is built for small to mid-size events: birthday parties, small office gatherings, graduation parties, family reunions at the tighter end. You get a curated selection of smoked meats, sides, and the setup to serve a crew of up to 25 without the overhead of a full-scale operation.

This is the right package if you want real BBQ at a smaller event and don’t need a full-time attendant on-site for the duration.

The Company — Up to 50 Guests

The Company is the most popular package for a reason. Most community events, medium corporate events, and milestone celebrations (anniversaries, retirements, larger graduation parties) fall in the 30–50 person range. The Company handles that cleanly with a full meat selection, sides, and the infrastructure to serve efficiently.

At this scale, you want to have serving station logistics sorted before the event — we’ll talk through that on the inquiry call.

The Battalion — 100+ Guests

The Battalion is for large-scale events. Corporate picnics, community festivals, large private events, and anything over 75–100 guests. At this tier, logistics become the job — timing, staging, replenishment, and coordination with your event team.

If you’re planning a Battalion-level event, reach out at least 4–6 weeks in advance. These take planning and we want to make sure we have everything locked in before your event date.

What to Ask Before You Book Any BBQ Caterer

Whether you book with us or someone else, these are the questions that separate real BBQ catering from warmed-up product:

Is the meat smoked on-site or pre-smoked and reheated? This matters enormously. Reheated brisket is never the same as brisket that’s been rested and served fresh off the smoker. Ask directly.

What’s the meat-to-side ratio? Some caterers advertise low per-person prices but bury the meat under cheap starches. Know what you’re getting per head.

What’s the setup and breakdown included? Surprise charges for setup, serving equipment, or breakdown are common. Get it in writing.

What’s the cancellation policy? Events change. Know your exposure if you need to cancel or adjust headcount.

Timing Your Inquiry

For any event under 50 people, 2–3 weeks advance notice is usually enough. For larger events or events on a weekend (especially summer weekends, when our calendar fills fast), 4–6 weeks is safer. For major holidays or event-heavy weekends in the Chicago suburbs — Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day — give us 6–8 weeks.

We do have a limited service schedule, so contact us early if your event is time-sensitive.

Contact and Next Steps

Submit a catering inquiry on our catering page or call us at (779) 702-9004. Be ready with: your event date, location, approximate headcount, and any dietary considerations (we can accommodate gluten-free needs and have options for guests who don’t eat pork).

We serve Shorewood, Joliet, Plainfield, Minooka, Bolingbrook, and surrounding Will County communities. Some events further out in the Chicago suburbs are possible — ask us.