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About this vendor

Helen Aker
Helen Aker
Catering Director

No business details yet

17 years in business

A full-service caterer offering wedding coordination in Charlottesville, Virginia, The Local Restaurant and Catering is the ideal choice for engaged couples wishing to experience a taste of Virginia on their special day. Founded in 2008, the company specializes in locally grown and cultivated products from small farmers and award winning vineyards. When it comes to the best in farm-to-table cuisine, couples can count on The Local Restaurant and Catering!

Services Offered

To ensure a successful dinner service, The Local Restaurant and Catering provides the following services:

  • Day-of, partial and full wedding planning services
  • Setup
  • Cleanup
  • Delivery
  • Hors d’oeuvres
  • Cocktail reception
  • Cake cutting
  • Servers
  • Tastings
  • Bartender(s)
  • Cash bar
  • Champagne toast
  • House beer
  • House liquor
  • House wine
  • Limited bar
  • Open bar
  • Outside alcohol
  • Premium liquor
  • Signature drink
  • Specialty beer
  • Specialty wine

Cuisine

Choose from a variety of serving styles, including stations, buffet, family-style and plated options. Couples who entrust their taste buds to The Local Restaurant and Catering may choose from the following cuisines to personalize their affair:

  • African
  • American
  • Asian
  • BBQ
  • Cajun
  • French
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Latin American
  • Local
  • Mediterranean
  • Mexican
  • Sandwiches
  • Seafood
  • Southern
  • Gluten-free
  • Lactose-free
  • Pork-free
  • Nut-free
  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian

Other Services

The Local Restaurant and Catering couples are also provided the following wedding decor items:

  • Barware
  • China
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens

What You'll Love About The Local Restaurant and Catering

Guests have found them to have excellent communication and to be flexible with what was needed from them. They also found that the quality and portion sizes of the dishes exceeded expectations. Look at the review section for more.

Pricing information

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FAQ

What is the average catering price per person for plated service?

$40

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

No

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$40

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$30

What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeuvres?

$30

Which of the following are included in the cost of your full service wedding catering?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up
Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Server(s)
Tastings
Chairs
Tables
China
Linens
Flatware
Glassware

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$12

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)
Limited Bar
Open Bar
House Beer
House Wine
House Liquor

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Chairs
China
Clean Up
Flatware
Glassware
Set Up
Tables

What event services do you provide?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up

What catering services do you provide?

Breakfast / Brunch
Buffet
Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Custom Menu
Hors d'oeuvres
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What types of cuisine do you cater?

African
American
Asian
BBQ
French
Indian
Italian
Latin American
Local
Mediterranean
Mexican
Seafood
Southern
Spanish

What dietary needs can you accommodate?

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Nut Free
Organic
Vegan
Vegetarian

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Open Bar
Champagne Toast
Signature Drink

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Dessert
Server(s)

Which of the following items can you provide?

Chairs
Tables

Which of the following items can you provide?

Barware

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

1

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

3

Describe your venue:

Restaurant

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Reception
Bridal Shower
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Family Style
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Liquor License
Open Bar
Outside Alcohol
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

Still have questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Wedding couple

Reviews of The Local Restaurant and Catering

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

Powered by AI

The Local received rave reviews for their exceptional catering services at weddings. Helen, the catering coordinator, was praised for her knowledge, friendliness, and attention to detail. Guests raved about the delicious food, including favorites like truffle mushroom pasta and apple crisp. The catering team accommodated dietary restrictions and provided excellent service, making it a top choice for couples looking for a seamless and delicious catering experience for their weddings.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The Local received rave reviews for their exceptional catering services at weddings. Helen, the catering coordinator, was praised for her knowledge, friendliness, and attention to detail. Guests raved about the delicious food, including favorites like truffle mushroom pasta and apple crisp. The catering team accommodated dietary restrictions and provided excellent service, making it a top choice for couples looking for a seamless and delicious catering experience for their weddings.

Juliana
Juliana Sent on 01/30/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Deliciously Exceptional Wedding Catering

The Local gave us an incredible experience from start to finish. After having eaten at their restaurant multiple times (including for our first date), my husband & I knew we wanted to have them as our caterer, and they exceeded our expectations.

From the very beginning, they were consistently prompt in their communication and flexible with what we wanted in our contract. The food packages they offer are generous for the price with endless options to customize everything to our liking. The quality and portion sizes at the actual event were exceptional - exactly like in our tasting - and we are still getting compliments on our food months afterwards. We also were able to provide our own alcohol (except wine, as per our venue's rule) that they used for bartending purposes, which helped with cost. Their staff even helped set up desserts we purchased from other companies.

I also really appreciated their contracting services through MS Rentals, which was included in our price. When we first started planning, we hadn't even considered where to find linens and flatware, but luckily we didn't have to. The MS Rentals team helped us piece together our table settings with little more than a color palette to start with, and they were more than accommodating with any changes we decided to make before the event.

Cost is a big part of catering, so I can't emphasize enough how mindful of our budget The Local was throughout the planning process. It's easy to get nickel-and-dime-d when deciding on vendors, but we had the complete opposite experience with them. The contract they provide is very clear about the cost of each item and kept up to date, there are no hidden fees, and they even provided helpful suggestions for various items based on our guest count that ultimately decreased the final bill (which they didn't have to do).

All in all, this company provided excellent catering & dinner service for our event while supporting us throughout the entire planning process. We feel extremely valued and satisfied as clients and can't wait to go eat at The Local again soon!
Ryan
Ryan Sent on 11/10/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The Local is Excellent!

We worked primarily with Helen as our catering coordinator, and she was amazing every step of the way. She was very knowledgeable about our venue, having catered there many times before, which contributed to our reception going over so well. She was super friendly and easy to work with. She worked very well with our day-of coordinator, and her team was very well-prepared, competent, and professional throughout the night.

Outside of just Helen, the rest of the catering staff was all very friendly and hard-working. They were constantly asking if we had everything we wanted, and did a great job of packing some food up for us to take with at the end of the night. Even early-on in the process when we were still getting estimates for the catering from multiple places, we were impressed by how thorough The Local was with their cost breakdowns. It was very helpful for us to see what costs were going where, since we really had no experience in this realm beforehand.

Additionally, the whole catering team was very helpful when it came to accommodating our guests with dietary issues. Cheese crumbles came on the side of the salad for those who didn't like cheese, and vegan plates were specifically prepared for the couple of vegan guests that we had in attendance.

Aside from all of the excellent service that I've mentioned, the food was absolutely delicious. Everything that we decided on during our tasting with the Local tasted just as good the night of the wedding. The guests loved it as well - we received multiple comments during the night and after about how good the food was.

I've got to stop somewhere, but I cannot say enough good things about Helen, the rest of the catering team, and The Local. Would definitely recommend them to anybody! We will definitely be stopping back by their restaurant for dinner the next time we are in Charlottesville!
Sarah
Sarah Sent on 09/16/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Choose The Local!

We are so glad we used The Local as our caterer for our wedding! We are also glad that we got to work with Helen exclusively. She guided us through the most stressful part of the wedding – the catering. We were a long-distance couple and she was so accommodating. She helped us create an excellent menu that our guests loved. We also had some specific guest dietary restrictions that she helped us navigate and execute. She was an excellent communicator throughout the entire process.

Our wedding day food was absolutely excellent. Each dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor. The service was impeccable. The day of catering team was incredibly professional, attentive, and friendly, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and that our guests were well taken care of. They were able to quickly pivot when we needed to move our ceremony indoors as well.

We couldn’t have asked for a better catering experience. If you’re looking for a caterer who delivers exquisite food, exceptional service, and a truly memorable dining experience, The Local is the way to go.
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Awards

185
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2021 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2014 Winner
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Are you interested?

Real Weddings

Matthew & Lindsay
60 photos · 11/10/2023
Zachary & Haley
59 photos · 07/30/2022
Genni & Clayton
40 photos · 10/16/2021
Heddy & Walker
34 photos · 05/29/2021
Nathan & Meredith
42 photos · 04/10/2020
Brooke & Brad
41 photos · 10/20/2018

Team

Helen Aker
Helen Aker
Catering Director
Kelly McCauley
Kelly McCauley
Associate Catering Director
Kari Hogan
Kari Hogan
Lead Catering Chef
Samantha Clarke
Samantha Clarke
Catering Coordinator
Eleanore Orcutt
Eleanore Orcutt
Catering Coordinator
Meridyth Fowley
Meridyth Fowley
Catering Coordinator

Professional Network & Endorsements

Chestnut Hill Bed & Breakfast Chestnut Hill Bed & Breakfast Historic Weddings

The Local is a wonderful team of professional and experienced caterers. The attention to detail and quality of services makes The Local a dream to work with. All of us at Chestnut Hill Bed & Breakfast look forward to working with them again in the future!

Early Mountain Vineyards Early Mountain Vineyards Winery Weddings

The reputation of the catering team behind The Local says it all. This vendor wows time and time again! We love hearing the best feedback from our clients about the high quality they receive.

Thatch Winery Thatch Winery Winery Weddings

The Local is one of our most preferred vendors because they employ an incredibly professional and detail-oriented staff. I highly recommend hiring them for an occasion of any size for a stress-free and delicious event.

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The Local Restaurant and Catering frequently asked questions

At The Local Restaurant and Catering, the cost of the full wedding catering service includes:
  • Delivery
  • Set Up
  • Clean Up
  • Cake Cutting
  • Cocktail Reception
  • Server(s)
  • Tastings
  • Chairs
  • Tables
  • China
  • Linens
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
The bar service starting price at The Local Restaurant and Catering includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Limited Bar
  • Open Bar
  • House Beer
  • House Wine
  • House Liquor
The Local Restaurant and Catering offers the following event services for weddings:
  • Delivery
  • Set Up
  • Clean Up
The Local Restaurant and Catering offers the following catering services for weddings:
  • Breakfast / Brunch
  • Buffet
  • Cake Cutting
  • Cocktail Reception
  • Custom Menu
  • Hors d'oeuvres
  • Plated
  • Server(s)
  • Stations
  • Tastings
At The Local Restaurant and Catering, you can find the following types of cuisine:
  • African
  • American
  • Asian
  • BBQ
  • French
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Latin American
  • Local
  • Mediterranean
  • Mexican
  • Seafood
  • Southern
  • Spanish
At The Local Restaurant and Catering, the following dietary needs can be accomodated:
  • Gluten Free
  • Lactose Free
  • Nut Free
  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
The Local Restaurant and Catering provides the following bar and beverage services for wedding events:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Open Bar
  • Champagne Toast
  • Signature Drink
To cater to all tastes, The Local Restaurant and Catering offers the following food and beverage items:
  • Barware
The Local Restaurant and Catering is recommended by 96% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.8 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.8 in quality of service, 4.8 in flexibility, 4.8 in professionalism, 4.8 in value and 4.6 in average response time.

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