Questions · Milwaukee
Cream City Catering FAQ
What things cost, where the food is cooked, and how to get a real quote.
About us
Who we are, in one paragraph
Cream City Catering is the off-site catering company of Cream City Concepts, the Milwaukee group behind Oak Barrel Public House, Who’s on Third and Who’s on Layton. We are based downtown at 1033 N Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and have catered across Milwaukee since 2014. On staffed events we cook the mains and sides at your venue, in the mobile kitchen on our truck, and our own chefs, servers and bartenders run the kitchen, the floor and the bar. We serve Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington and Racine counties. The one room we own is Oak Barrel’s second floor, for 30 to 180 guests. Alexa Gruenwald reads every inquiry herself and answers, usually the same day.
Catering, answered
What does catering cost per person in Milwaukee?
We price per event, from your headcount, menu and service style, and Alexa sends a real number. For scale, The Knot puts Midwest wedding catering at $62 to $123 a head, and FlashCater puts Milwaukee full-service events at $24 to $55 a head and up.
Who is actually behind Cream City Catering?
Cream City Concepts, the Milwaukee restaurant group we are part of. Alexa Gruenwald quotes and plans your event, and Reid Frederickson runs the floor on the day.
Where is the food actually cooked?
At your event, from our own truck parked outside. Ask Alexa what that looks like at your venue.
Do you have your own venue, or do you come to ours?
Yours, almost always; off-site is the whole business. We bring the kitchen to your venue or your office anywhere in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington and Racine counties and cook the mains and sides there. Oak Barrel’s second floor is the one room we own; everything else we do is off-site.
What service styles do you offer?
Four full-service styles: cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, buffet with chef-attended lines, plated dinner by course, and family style with shared platters. We also do drop-off and pick-up catering for events that do not need a crew. The right choice depends on guest count, timeline and how much table service your venue can support.
What areas do you serve?
Southeastern Wisconsin: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Washington and Racine counties. Farther out is quoted case by case; ask Alexa.
Can you host a rehearsal dinner?
Yes. Oak Barrel’s whole second floor takes 30 to 180 guests, family style, and the five Third Street Retreat apartments upstairs can house the wedding party. See rehearsal dinners.
Do you have a food truck?
Yes. The Cream City food truck books for private events with a $3,000 minimum and no headcount minimum: company lunches, block parties and wedding late-night. See the food truck.
Can you arrange a shuttle for guests?
Our group’s 25-seat bus books through Cream City Shuttle. Tell Alexa you want it with the catering, and the shuttle schedule and the kitchen timeline get written together.
How do I get a catering quote?
Call Alexa at 414-518-6746, email alexa@creamcityconcepts.com, or use the quote request form. Quotes are built from guest count, date, venue, service style and bar needs, so having those five details ready speeds things up considerably.
Do you provide bartenders and service staff?
Yes. We staff events with our own chefs, servers and bartenders, so one team is accountable for the kitchen, the floor and the bar.
Next step
Ask us about your date.
Tell us your date, guest count and venue, and Alexa will put a real proposal in front of you: menu, staffing and bar.
Request a quoteOr call Alexa directly at 414-518-6746