Sometimes, planning a perfect event can feel a bit like a juggling act. If you want to host a memorable event, you need to consider a variety of factors simultaneously. You can’t have a quality event without the right guest list, entertainment, and decorations.
But even considering all the aspects of a successful event, nothing is more important than the menu. When your guests arrive at your banquet or gala, they expect a quality meal, and you don’t want to let them down.
Fortunately, when you plan your event at the Overland Park Convention Center, you can serve food options prepared by an award-winning chef. Don’t settle for a simple catering service in Kansas City—serve memorable, gourmet meals for any occasion.
The Overland Park Convention Center
At the Overland Park Convention Center, we want to offer quality options throughout every step of your event planning journey.
Deciding on the venue for your event can be challenging, and we want to make things as convenient as possible. We have a variety of resources available for any occasion, so you never feel unequipped or unprepared as the day of your event draws closer.
Over the years, a number of publications have recognized our work. The industry-leading EXHIBITOR Magazine even named us the Best Small Convention Center in North America, and we do everything we can to live up to the praise.
Resources for Any Occasion
If you’re interested in holding an event at OPCC, you have options. Someone might choose to organize an event at our venue for any number of reasons.
We don’t want to limit our organizers when they plan their dream event. No matter what kind of event you want to host, we can help you make it a reality.
We’ve hosted weddings, business meetings, trade shows, and more. And while these are all different, there is one thing that they all have in common: food can take any event to the next level. But how can you build the right menu?
Outside Food Options
Before we take a closer look at our menu options, it’s important to note that we don’t allow outside catering at our events. We also don’t cater for any events not taking place at our center.
While there are many delicious food options in Kansas City and Overland Park, we have an in-house chef who can prepare anything you’re looking to serve at your event.
We want to make the event-planning process as simple and convenient as possible, and organizing with an outside catering service in Kansas City can complicate the planning process.
Working with OPCC’s culinary team means you don’t have to worry about organizing transportation for your caterers. You won’t run into any headaches when you work with our team.
Many, Many Meals
Our catering service in Kansas City offers an extensive selection of different food items. The specifics of your menu will change based on the date, time, and theme of your event.
A late-night Christmas gala will likely have a much different food selection than a business conference brunch.
But even though the menu will change, the quality shouldn’t. We want to make sure that no matter what you serve, from breakfast to dessert, your guests will get excited for their next plate.
Because we’re committed to providing outstanding food options, we needed to find an outstanding chef. And we found that in our Executive Chef David Ruiz.
Better Ingredients, Better Food
We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Chef David Ruiz to our team. Chef Ruiz is a dedicated chef, known for his local ingredients.He believes the quality of a dish depends on the quality of the ingredients.
As Chef Ruiz develops new menu items, he’s always considering his roots. Both Jewish and Mexican, Chef Ruiz’s heritage always informs his creative process.
Chef Ruiz has fond memories of cooking with his grandmother when he was a child, and he uses everything he’s learned to cook delicious meals for our guests. Your clients can taste Chef Ruiz’s experience when you organize meals for your event at OPCC.
Our banquet and gala clients will also get the chance to experience a private tasting with Chef Ruiz, so they can try his meals for themselves.
Depending on the client’s preferences, Chef Ruiz will prepare a number of different meal items. The clients can then taste the dishes and make suggestions for their upcoming event. Chef Ruiz likes to tell a story with his meals, and this allows clients to be in on the storytelling process.
A Storied Career
We’re proud to work with Chef Ruiz, but don’t just take our word for it.
Chef Ruiz has received recognition from a variety of prominent organizations. He has appeared on the Food Network several times, including on the popular cooking competition, Chopped. He also won the show, It’s CompliPlated.
Seeking Sustainability
Chef Ruiz also cooked in the James Beard Foundation’s Blended Burger Project. Chef Ruiz’s burger, which he dubbed, The Royale, won him the competition.
The James Beard Foundation noted how this burger used real, sustainable ingredients to create memorable flavors. You can expect to notice this commitment to quality in all of Chef Ruiz’s dishes.
Sustainability is a huge priority for Chef Ruiz. He’s committed to including at least one locally sourced item on a plate for each meal. He’s met and worked with local farmers to achieve this goal. You will truly taste Kansas City in his dishes.
Any Time of Day
When you come to the Overland Park Convention Center, you shouldn’t feel limited by the specifics of your event.
Just because your meeting is taking place early in the morning or midday doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have access to quality meals.
Our catering service in Kansas City can provide menu options for any time of day. Whether you’re looking for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or something else entirely, we have the menu items you need.
Breakfast
If you’ve got out-of-town clients or guests coming in for a conference or trade show, it might be a good idea to offer breakfast.
Offering a hot meal early in the morning is a great way to put your guests in the right mood. Breakfast is a meal with a lot of variety. Some people prefer a healthy breakfast, while others might prefer something a little heartier.
Other clients like something sweet to start their day. Regardless of what kinds of breakfast options you prefer to offer at your event, we can provide a number of delicious choices.
Lunch
Lunch is another meal that can vary based on your goals as an organizer. If you’ve got a lunch meeting with an important client, then it might be a good idea to offer a more substantial spread. But maybe you’re organizing a week-long conference.
In that case, filling up your guests halfway through the day may not be the best idea, especially if you have panels and meetings in the afternoon. We offer a vast selection of salads and lunches.
Even if your guests are on the pickier side, anyone can walk away from your lunch feeling satisfied and ready to take on the rest of their day.
Appetizers
Food is also a great way to get people to connect with one another. If you need to break the ice between your attendees, consider putting out some appetizers. Appetizers can give your guests something to discuss before you bring out your show-stopper.
For instance, maybe you’re holding an event with a popular keynote speaker. As guests file into your venue and wait for the speaker to arrive, you can offer appetizers to keep people entertained and satisfied.
Our menu features hot and cold options from a variety of different cuisines. At OPCC, you can find something to excite even the most particular of guests.
Dinner
In many ways, dinner is the main event. Whether you’re hosting an all-day event or a late-night gala, your dinner selection needs to be both memorable and filling.
Your event’s dinner should keep guests glued to their seats. The last thing you want is hungry guests sneaking out to grab a fast-food burger. Consider our braised short ribs, pork chops, or garlic chicken entrees.
Because we always choose the best ingredients, you can be sure that your dinner offerings will be flavorful, complex, and delicious. Create a meal that will have your guests asking for seconds, every time.
Dessert
The last meal you should offer your guests during your event is dessert.
Some planners consider dessert to be fully optional, but don’t let dessert become an afterthought. Many guests will expect a sweet treat to end their night on a high note, and you should always do your best to meet your guests’ expectations.
Dessert is a classy way to thank your guests for attending your event, and it communicates an organizer’s attention to detail. When you serve your guests a delicious dessert, you’re helping them enjoy their night out until the very last second.
Beverages
Our catering service in Kansas City can help you serve delicious food, no matter your preferences. But you can’t forget the importance of a beverage. We offer domestic beer, house wine, and quality cocktails. If you’re hosting an all-ages event, don’t worry.
We can also provide bottled water, soft drinks, tea, lemonade, and a selection of fruit juices. No one should ever feel left out during your event. Supplement your perfect meal with the perfect beverage options.
Organize the Perfect Event
Our catering service in Kansas City is just one of the many resources we offer organizers at OPCC. If you want to get started on the event-planning process right now, you can. Just complete a form on our event planning tool.
All you’ll need to do is answer a few questions about your event, and we can send you an estimate based on your responses. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and it can provide valuable information about your event. Try it now.
