The Chelsea Restaurant has been an iconic place to gather in historic downtown New Bern for many years. Once used as a pharmacy by Pepsi's creator, Caleb Bradham, the Stanley Building (home of The Chelsea) has an incredible story and rich history. While we've served celebrities from the past (Elvis Presley) and present (Nicholas Sparks), our favorite guests are those we get to celebrate with - you! Our catering services are unlike any other in Eastern North Carolina. We proudly host rehearsal dinners, showers, luncheons, brunch, and receptions in our upstairs banquet room that seats 110 guests. We also love catering at other venues across the area - Maola, Tryon Palace, Stanley Ballroom, Havelock Vistors Center, and so many others. It's our priority to make your day/event as stress free and enjoyable as possible - along with serving you delicious dishes. We have three catering format options: 1) a two-choice buffet 2) a three-choice buffet and 3) plated dinner (or lunch). The buffets come with 2 or 3 protein choices, 2 starches, a vegetable, warm rolls/butter, mixed greens salad, tea/coffee, and dessert. Some of the most popular choices include our famous shrimp and grits, beef tenderloin with a rosemary demi-glace, pork tenderloin with an apricot chutney, chicken bruschetta, vegetable risotto, and horseradish salmon. Plated dinners work well for events that offer a limited menu (3-4 choices) to their guests for a more formal style celebration.

Our catering menus can be found at https://www.thechelsea.com/menus/banquets-catering/

How our catering services typically work: you reach out to Ron McHugh at ron@thechelsea.com and let him know about your event, date, and projected number of guests. He will want to schedule a brief call with you to obtain important details and learn how we can best serve you. If it's a wedding, we invite you to schedule a tasting with us! Once your details are confirmed, we will send you a contract with details to secure your date. We are happy to answer any questions leading up to your event and the week of, our attention will be solely focused on you. Our guarantee is that everything will be right, stress free, delicious, and to your standards.

What about glassware and flatware? If your event is at a venue that doesn't not provide their own glassware, we have options for renting! Please note that we cannot transport, clean, or be held responsible for glassware/flatware that is not rented through us.

Please reach out with any questions. We look forward to serving you and celebrating your special day!

Jill and Ron McHugh