Business phone system for caterers in New Jersey

The catering company industry in New Jersey

New Jersey had 533 caterers in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 722320, Caterers). They employed 7,628 people in mid-March and reported $248.3 million in annual payroll. That is the 6th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Caterers make up 0.22% of the 237,968 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) New Jersey has 5.6 caterers, 44.3% above the national rate of 3.9. The average establishment has 14.3 employees against 11.2 nationally. Payroll per employee is $32,554, 5.4% above the U.S. figure of $30,873.

Caterers by metro area in New Jersey

Census published catering company counts for 5 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of New Jersey. The largest is New York, NY-NJ, with 1,307 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 5.1% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at caterers in New Jersey

49.7% of New Jersey's caterers with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 55.0% nationally. 67.0% 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.

Why the phone matters for caterers in New Jersey

Caterers book events through inquiry calls and then coordinate menus, headcounts and timing over many follow-ups. Fast responses to inquiries win events.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for caterers in New Jersey:

• The caterer calls a venue about setup times.
• 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 New Jersey requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Phone system pricing for a 14-person catering company

Caterers in New Jersey average 14.3 employees, so the comparison uses a 14-person team. Priced per seat, 14 users would run $420.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $349.30 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $279.00 a month for 14 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $1,692 less than RingCentral for a catering company in New Jersey of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in New Jersey

New Jersey has 10 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 New Jersey

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in New Jersey 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.