Business phone system for caterers in Mississippi

The catering company industry in Mississippi

Mississippi had 60 caterers in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 722320, Caterers). They employed 365 people in mid-March and reported $9,508,000 in annual payroll. That is the 38th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Caterers make up 0.10% of the 60,465 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Mississippi has 2.0 caterers, 47.6% below the national rate of 3.9. The average establishment has 6.1 employees against 11.2 nationally. Payroll per employee is $26,049, 15.6% below the U.S. figure of $30,873.

Caterers by metro area in Mississippi

Census published catering company counts for 8 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Mississippi. The largest is Memphis, TN-MS-AR, with 38 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 67% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at caterers in Mississippi

65.5% of Mississippi's caterers with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 55.0% nationally. 84.5% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Calls a catering company in Mississippi has to catch

Caterers book events through inquiry calls and then coordinate menus, headcounts and timing over many follow-ups. Fast responses to inquiries win events. That holds for caterers in Mississippi as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to caterers in Mississippi:

• An office calls about a lunch meeting order.
• A couple calls about catering a wedding.
• A client calls to update a headcount.

Texting clients

Caterers text headcount confirmations and delivery windows.

Texting from a local number in Mississippi requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Phone system pricing for a 6-person catering company

Caterers in Mississippi average 6.1 employees, so the comparison uses a 6-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $149.70 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $180.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $119.00 a month for 6 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $732 less than RingCentral for a catering company in Mississippi of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Mississippi

Mississippi has 5 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a catering company can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for caterers in Mississippi

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

Porting a number you already use in Mississippi is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.